Forever Is A Lie
by Girl-Who-Ran-With-Wolves
Summary: Set after the events of Party Guessed *AU*. Do you believe in love at first sight? When Isaac Lahey first looked into the beautiful brown eyes of Lily Anderson it was like magic...or fate but if you can judge fate on Greek Myths...someone's gunna die. **Rating may change from T-M** If u dont like first chpter it's crap so just skip 2 second
1. 1: The Plan

** Isaac's P.O.V**

"Peter's back," the words I'd been dreading all night, said in such a final tone that hoped seemed lost back with Scott's so-called cure. "And I'm not the Alpha anymore, he is."  
"What!" Erica snapped. She seemed furious but relieved. Derek really wasn't the greatest leader in the world and no one really knew much about the mysterious Peter Hale except he was a vicious Alpha werewolf gone insane and had left a trail of blood and corpses behind him including Derek's sister, Laura. What I was most pissed about was the fact he'd almost exposed us just so he could get what he wanted or in other words, Scott McCall. He'd attacked the poor kid's friends and threatened his family to try and get Scott to join his Pack. Not that I was a big fan of the woe-is-me werewolf or his hunter girlfriend Allison OR his jerk off 'friend' turned Kanima but Lydia was bearable to be around, despite the fact she'd just attacked the ex-Alpha and released one of the most dangerous serial killers ever to walk the earth and that left Stiles, despite his dry sarcasm and sometimes exhausting heroic but moronic actions he was an okay guy. Stiles had been loyal enough to keep Scott's secret. Intelligent enough to discover how the murders were connected. Courageous enough to constantly put himself in harm's way and save Derek's life on many occasions. Trusting enough to keep his mouth shut about werewolves when the hunter's came sniffing and dependable enough to keep all of their secrets'.  
"But…what are we supposed to do now?" Erica sighed taking a seat on a burnt piece of furniture. We'd decided to meet at the old Hale house, the one burnt down by the Hunters or most of them.  
"You are a part of his pack now. You're still Betas if you go with him. If you don't, you'll become like me… an Omega." Derek replied, no emotion leaving his voice.  
"But we don't want to go with him." Boyd said, confidentially. "You're our Alpha, always will be."  
"Yeah…" said Erica in a far off voice but Derek shot them both down.  
"No you're not." He replied, his voice was quiet and dangerous, almost a growl. "I denounce all claims to being your Alpha. I accept Peter Hale as the new Alpha. From here until Peter Hale has finished as serving Alpha, you belong to him."  
A slow hand clap was heard and a man strolled out of the shadows. He had an ugly smirk on his face and as he looked from face to face that grotesque, evil grin grew in size.  
"Thank you, Derek. I'll make sure you have a place in my pack," said Hale, patting him on a back like a proud father who'd just seen his son score the winning goal. "So this is your pack, eh? Let me guess, Erica Reyes," Hale pointed to Erica and she nodded enthusiastically. Had she switched sides so easily? "Boyd," the tall werewolf only nodded in response to his name. I could almost feel the tension radiating between Boyd and Hale, Boyd's arms were crossed defensively across his chest and he stood the nearest to the ex-Alpha, still protecting him even though he was just a Beta like the rest of us, maybe even a Delta. "and Isaac Lahey…" I didn't really know how to respond so I just shuffled awkwardly on my feet.

"I guess you all know me then…" he said with a 'smile' that seemed more like he was baring his teeth in superiority. "Anyway… now we're all acquainted, I'll get down to business. However much Derek values all of you, we need more than just five werewolves to make a Pack if we want to be the strongest in North America."

Hale moved to a large blackboard that Derek often used to discuss 'important' issues among the Pack. He flipped it around until it showed the back side. On the back side was a big title underlined TARGETS. The main picture that stood lone among the other photographs which were lined neatly, was a picture of Scott McCall, a bright light shone where his eyes were supposed to be and it looked cropped as I saw a hand on his chin. This photo was circled at least three times. I recognized others; too, one was of Stiles Stalinski and another of his History partner among others from school. There were at a dozen photos on the board. Underneath Scott, the most predominant were three pictures, two out of three I recognized. Those were of Stiles and Scott's girlfriend, Allison. The last one was a surveillance photo of a girl with bra-length raven hair and big, dark chocolate eyes. Her skin was utterly flawless but incredibly pale and her lips were the color of roses. She seemed to be smiling but it wasn't a joyful one, this was a sad grin, something forced and twisted and broken. I recognized that smile.

"Scott McCall, you all know him and he's supposedly a part of this Pack, yet he shows no commitment or conviction. We can't let him be an Omega anymore, it's too dangerous. So that leads me onto my plan." He pointed two tanned fingers on the pictures of Stiles and Allison "'Stiles' Stalinski, real name unknown. Incredibly smart, in fact, he was the first to discover I was the Alpha but lacks motivation to apply himself. All that could change and the girl, Allison Argent, I have a reluctance to turn her for obvious reasons but Scott is in love with this Allison girl and I will do _whatever_ it takes to recruit him or kill him." Hale stopped and frowned at the final picture as if thinking deeply "This is Lily Anderson; she caught my eye a week ago. A man tried to attack her and she demonstrated advanced fighting skills. Not much is known about her only that her parents died when they were attacked by a lynx. She lives with her aunt; very secretive has a small group of friends, three maybe four. Doesn't talk much.  
"So, you've all got a target. Derek you take Scott, he trusts you the most. Erica, you've got Stiles, I know you've had a crush on him since the third grade so this might be a unique and rare opportunity. Don't waste it. Boyd, you're with Allison. Get to know her then get her alone and whatever you do. You must check for Argents. Isaac, you've got Lily. She's a year below you so you'll have to get her at lunch or after school."

I paused for a while, thinking about Lily over and over again. Thinking about what Hale had told me. Thinking about those astonishing red lips and the broken smile they twisted into and thinking about how exciting it was going to be to hunt her. Would she fight back like she had with the man? I hoped so, I didn't like easy prey.

"Well?" Peter suddenly snapped. "What are you waiting for, an invitation? Go!"


	2. 2: Run, Run as Fast as you can!

Isaac's P.O.V.

It was by chance I saw her there. I'd been searching for her night and day for at least seventy-two hours. I'd left to clear my head. No one had tried to stop me, not even Hale. Hale rarely spent time around us Betas'. We were just foot soldiers in a grander scheme he wouldn't tell us not even a speck about. Apart from our targets. Apart from Lily Anderson.

She was on an early morning run. Lily hadn't stuck to the joggers' trail. She was pure out sprinting in the middle of the woods. She knew the terrain well and as I watched she never faltered on anything. When she reached a tree, sometimes she would run up to it and push off it, landing with a delicate thud. The noise she was making pierced the tranquility of the forest, as she punched out her own route through decades of foliage and vegetation. Lily was incredibly fast, never slowing to a walk or even a jog. Always running, leaping, galloping or full tilt sprinting which she did often. Her lean body told me she kept fit but she was having slight trouble breathing. As I watched her a plan was conjuring in my head. I knew where she was heading, near the school. If I could cut her off before she reached the football field, I might accomplish my mission before the others, earning bragging rights.

It took to a slow jog and then grew in pace until I was eventually running. I kept from stumbling by flying – long, endless leaps that kept my footfalls soundless on the rare occasion I touched the ground. When I could see her blue hoodie contrasting against dark hair, I circled round, punching my own path through the forest until I reached a clearing. I hid amongst the trees towards the front and timed my move so it would look like I'd been a jogger doing exactly the same as her. Too early and she might think I'd been following her. Too late and I'd miss my window of opportunity.

I executed it accurately and came out of nowhere. She ran right into me, putting out brittle arms to try and slow her momentum. Lily was knocked backwards, landing on her spine. I had the perfect conditions to turn her. She was at my mercy but as soon as those dark chocolate eyes turned on me, giving off nothing but warmth, light and love; I lost my nerve.

Lily's P.O.V.

I saw the boy way too late. He came out of nowhere and I was so shocked another person was this deep into the woods; I forgot to stop and smashed right into him. I was tossed onto my back when I connected with his body, the air rushing out of my lungs. The boy kneeled next to me, worry seeping through his features. After a few moments of hacking coughing, he helped me to my feet. My first attempt was lousy and still shocked by the force of the blow, my knees buckled but he caught me. The guy was remarkably strong and my cheeks flushed as he wrapped his arms around me. When I was finally ready to stand on my own, I pushed him off me, feeling more than a little embarrassed.  
"Are you okay?" he asked and I realized that I was gawping at him. I couldn't help it though. The guy was so _hot_. Curly blonde hair with signature sea blue eyes that seemed to be seeing you. Not just seeing a physical appearance but seeing all you thought and think, seeing all the emotions you felt and feel, seeing…. Seeing everything. I can't describe the feeling because I don't understand it.  
"Oh, yeah, thanks." I said, feeling like kicking myself. "W-what are you doing here? I thought I was the only one who knew about this route…"  
"Nah," he replied, fingers flexing into fists and then releasing "It's pretty popular. I just needed to clear my head…"  
"Tell me about it…" I murmured and then I remembered my backpack. It lay strewn across the forest floor; my IPod and phone were covered in dirt and busy vibrating away to themselves while I talked to the stranger. My drawings had either floated away or had managed to survive. My favorite of two snarling wolves floated in a puddle.  
"NO!" I exclaimed, rushing towards the body of water. I dived for the drawing and as I brought it out, the boy picked up one of the others.  
"Wolves…" he said in a high, tense voice. I frowned at him but he didn't explain his sudden change in behavior. "These are really good."  
"Thanks," I replied sheepishly, I'd never really been proud of my art; it was more a childish obsession, drawing animals. Surprisingly, or so my aunt says, I can still draw a lynx and a good one but I haven't done it in a while. Not since that night.  
My eyes started leaking and before the tears could come out in full volume. "I got-gotta go, I'll see-e you around then…" I spat in a rush, packing my bag and checking my phone. Eight missed calls. Three from my aunt, four from Delilah and one from my History partner Stiles Staliniski.  
He gave me a frown which only made him look more beautiful "You're crying…"  
"I'm fine." I lied and began to run past him "Bye."  
"Wait!" he shouted after me as I took off. "I don't even know your name!"  
"It's Lily," I shouted back at him. "Lily Anderson!"  
"I'm Isaac! Isaac Lahey!" he replied.  
"Bye, Isaac Lahey!"  
Then I disappeared behind the trees and the cover of the gloomy forest and ran all the way home.


	3. 3: Jog on!

Stiles P.O.V.

"Lily, where are you? I've texted you like twenty times. Listen, we've got history together in two classes' time and I accidentally deleted the presentation but I know you've got a back-up so can you please remember to bring it. I owe you one, Lil'" I told my history partner's answering machine. I was worried, if she wasn't picking up then she might've already set off for school which would be very bad for both of us. Our history teacher, Dean Williams, had a reputation for throwing kids in detention if they looked at him the wrong way. I had a lot to deal with, including solving Scott's little Alpha werewolf problem, that detention at such a crucial stage would be a disaster.  
"Dude!" Scott said, appearing in front of me without me realizing. Damn, I was getting worse! I had to start training my reflexes and try to learn to stop zoning out which I've been doing a lot recently. I know I can't use his ADHD as an excuse anymore. "You called Lydia yet?"  
"No, man, she won't talk to anyone…" I said, distracted. My mind was racing with a thousand thoughts at a time. I was thinking of the murders and why _Matt_ would want to get back at the 2006 Swim Team. I remembered what Jackson/the Kanima/Matt had told me. 'They killed me…' did that mean Matt was some crazy ghost? Yet another supernatural in a town so full of werewolves, hunters and kanimas that my life was starting to feel like a horror movie.  
Scott leaned on the locker and banged his head against the cool, firm metal. "Okay well if she's freaking out we need to find her soon-"  
"Freaking out, Scott, freaking out is a freakin' understatement. She's just resurrected one of the most dangerous men alive and she's pissed off Derek! We need to find her."  
Just as I'd finished talking, Erica appeared, blocking Scott. Scott gave her a growl and it was obvious by his body language that he detested Erica being here at all. Scott wasn't a hateful guy but he could only take so much. Erica had pushed him to his limit time and time again and I knew I had grown sick of it too. Erica gave him a smile but ignored him.  
"Stiles?" she said, grabbing my arm in a suggestive way. I struggled to keep my eyes on hers. "Can we talk for a minute? In private?" Scott was shaking his head furiously behind me but what could I say? Even if I did tell Erica that I was busy she would drag me off with her claws and fangs, and… and… I'm not emotionally prepared for the scars that will leave, okay?  
"Sure, Erica," I replied sheepishly as Scott face palmed himself behind her back.

Erica led me into a deserted classroom and as soon as the room shut firmly, Erica threw me into a collection of desks. More a few minutes I was airborne and when I hit the ground… well, gravity's a bitch. I jumped to my feet just as Erica's fist slammed into my mouth, pain stung at my cheek and I spat blood. I was on all fours when Erica landed a brutal kick on my kidneys. I lay sprawled on the floor, struggling to breath and retching horribly. I let Erica lift me and throw me against the far wall. As I was sliding down, Erica grabbed my throat and held me a foot above the air. My initial reaction was to panic, attack Erica, defend myself but I knew I'd only make it worse.  
"I'm sorry for being so… excessive, Stiles, but I couldn't have you screaming for help or finding some ingenious way of attacking me as you usually do."  
"Yeah, yeah," I said, dismissing her werewolf ass "Just kill me already."  
Erica giggled and smiled with malice "Oh Stiles, I'm not gunna kill you. I'm going to turn." She lifted my wrist to her mouth and I got flashbacks of that awful night on the football field when I'd had to abandon my sweet Lydia because of Peter Hale. That memory still haunted me. I couldn't forgive myself that I'd left Lydia's life in that hands of a jerk off like Jackson. Erica's canines curved into knifelike, jagged fangs and just as she was inches from penetrating the skin, the door of the room flew open and in came Stiles's rescuer and best friend Scott McCall.

Erica snarled at him, going full-on wolf. She slashed at him but Scott avoiding and grabbed her arm, he twisted it behind her back with a violently snapping that made Erica cry out. Scott thrust her against the wall and held her there.  
"We know about your little plan, Erica," Scott replied, as I got to my badly-shaking feet although I got over it quickly. I'd been in plenty of life-death situations since my friend was turned into a creature of the night but this was an all-time low, even for Erica.  
"What?" she spat and I could see the shock and worry plastered across her face. "That's impossible…"  
I sighed "It's not Erica, you should really think about doing your little 'secretive' phone calls to Derek somewhere more private." Ever since Hale had got free, me, Scott and Allison had all cracked down on each member of the Pack and through their own egos' and narcissism, they'd learned of the plan to recruit Scott's friends but they knew there were many more targets and that there were at least _four_ who were top priority.  
"Who's the fourth target, Erica?" Scott asked, anger rising. I knew Scott hated it when innocents were caught up in this big, paranormal mess that half the town was already trapped in. "TELL ME!"  
Scott twisted Erica's clockwise above her head and I winced as more bones snapped. "Scott, don't you think you're being a bit excessive?"  
"Tell me, Erica!" Scott yelled at her, completely ignoring me "TELL ME NOW!"  
Erica started to sob and Scott and I were stunned into silence "It's Lily. It's Lily Anderson!"

Lily's P.O.V

My head was spinning after my encounter with Isaac in the woods. I couldn't put my finger on it yet but there was something different about him, something… just something. I stripped off my sweats and jumped into a hot shower. When I came back and dressed, I began to pack my school satchel. I shoved the books I needed into the small thing and then I moved to my backpack. Furtively, I pulled my pencils and paper and placed it carefully in my satchel. I lay the few survivors of the great paper siege on my bed and lay the utterly ruined snarling wolves drawing on the heater, praying it would dry.

I grabbed my jacket and ran into the kitchen. Aunt Jennifer was cooking bacon for my cousin who'd had a late night. Again. Sometimes Misha could be really selfish despite his sweet and charming demeanor. She smiled at me as I came into the kitchen and offered me a bacon sandwich.  
"Sorry, Jen, I'm running late. I'll just have to toast today."  
Jennifer sighed and shooed me away from the countertop so she could grab a spatula. "You always say that."  
I grabbed the toast as it sprang free. "That's because I'm always running late."  
"That's because you're always _running_, Lily."  
"I told you, aunty, it's not _just_ running. It's free running. In every sense of the word." Jennifer sighed but dropped it and I dumped my stuff on a kitchen chair, struggling to juggle my heavy satchel, jacket and toast.  
Misha padded down holding his head, he was senior now but still acted like a fifth grader. I could tell by his bloodshot eyes and his stench he was wrecked. I shook my head in mild disgust and padded from the room. "Bye, Lil." He said solemnly.  
"Bye, Misha," I said opening the door. Just before I was about to leave, I turned around and only to spite my cousin I said "And Misha if you could not leave your used condoms all over the bathroom floor, that'd be great."

Peter Hale's P.O.V

I watched her as she insulted her cousin before padding down the rotting steps of her little home at the edge of the woods. It was similar to Hale house before it had been burned down except less damaged by the elements. The girl stared in my direction and her heart accelerated, for a second I thought she'd discovered me but when I saw her flexing muscles, I knew she was deciding whether or not to run to school. I knew she wouldn't break much of a sweat but she thought better of it and raced to her shed. I had an incredibly small window of opportunity that I had to take. Isaac had failed. I couldn't let this one slip through my fingers.  
I followed her as she opened the shed and when she slipped into the black, murky shadows of the garage, I took my chance. I grabbed her from behind and threw her onto an old arcade game. She recovered quickly and as I came again she roundhouse kicked me in the jaw with inhuman strength. Before I had time to recover, Lily booted me in the groin. I doubled over and as she ran from the garage, I grabbed her ankle. Her arms instinctively went out to protect herself and slammed against concrete.  
"Gotcha," I said recovering. I spun her onto her back and exposed the jugular. This was going to be so much fun. She screamed as someone grabbed me and threw me across the floor. My claws fumbled on the unfamiliar surface and I glanced up to see Isaac Lahey standing in front of the girl. She looked up into his face with disbelief and shock but no horror despite his appearance.  
"Go!" he growled and Lily didn't argue. She even composed herself enough to grab her bike and satchel to cycle away.


	4. 4: Broken Arm and Heart

Okay guys, so if you've seen Episode 10: Fury – which I did, btw, AWESOME! – Then it might not make sense in places because it's based off what _could_ happen after Party Guessed so bare with me.

Lily's P.O.V

I cycled all the way to school at top speed and didn't look back once. Not even to check on Isaac. My head was pounding so loud I could hear nothing else but the blood rushing through my ears. I was sure something was broken but I felt no pain, it was probably the adrenaline gushing through my body and I knew once it wore off I would have feel everything. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen, it had been impossible but… wasn't my speed impossible, my strength. I had been the fastest and strongest in my year for a long time… surely what I'd done the night I was attacked by that guy hadn't been anything near what a shy, human teenage girl should be able to do.  
When I got to school, I threw myself off my bike and fumbled with the lock. My fingers were shaking badly and I dropped it several times, earning me a few questioning stares. Once I finally got inside the school, I collapsed against my locker and slid down it. For what seemed like decades, I just sat there staring at the ground until my muscles cried out for release. When I got up, I grabbed my arm as pain shot through it. It was definitely broken. As I limped in the direction of the nurses office, Stiles Staliniski appeared out of nowhere with Scott McCall in toe. It seemed like he could barely control himself, hands flailing wildly while Scott adjusted his backpack. Stiles was obviously dying to tell me something.  
"Lily, you have to listen to us, you're in danger. This is going to sound crazy-" Scott gasped before Stiles could speak. Stiles gave him that kind of look athletes give each other when one beats the other by just a few seconds. Like Scott had robbed him of a great achievement. I assessed them with cool eyes and then everything just…. Clicked; Became clear. It was like a blinding light had lifted from my eyes and I saw everything in perfect clarity.  
"You know, don't you?" I asked them, it was more of a statement than a question and the way they looked at each other confirmed it. "Tell me everything."

Scott's P.O.V

I released Erica and stared at Stiles. Erica slumped on the floor in a sobbing mess, her mascara making tracks down olive skin. She was muttering to herself about how Derek was going to kill her or make her pay, normally I would offer sympathy but I needed to get to Lily Anderson. Stiles got my meaning and called her again, he left a rushed, confusing message to her voicemail as we sprinted from the classroom. It took us twenty whole minutes until we finally found her walking towards the nurse's office at a slow crawl, gripping her arm. Stiles ran forward knocking into her arm as she stifled a whimper. I appeared beside him gasping for breath. I hadn't realized until now how exhausted I was. Everything had happened in the past few days had prevented me from sleeping. Matt drowning – again – the kanima going missing, the Argents on the war path…. The ground seemed to be shifting – crumbling – beneath me and I feel helpless against what was coming.  
"Lily, you have to listen to us. You're in danger. This is going to sound crazy-" I began but she cut me off with narrowed eyes.  
"You know, don't you?" she said and I looked reflexively at Stiles, he rolled his eyes and repeated the face palm gesture I had used on his only moments ago. We'd just given away we know something but at least we could play it down. "Tell me everything."  
"Somewhere private, not now-"  
Lily snapped, it was scary to see the shy girl get so – well, not angry because Lily Anderson _never_ got angry but it bordered on that emotion "No! Not later! Now! I just got attacked by a guy that threw me into an arcade game and his face….. It was like- like a wolf…"  
I looked at my best friend again and he was shaking his head with that signature son-of-a-bitch look that he was so good at portraying although its frequency was alarming. He sighed in exasperation. "I think we should tell her everything," Stiles finally replied. "Like, right now."  
I nodded my agreement and looked at Lily. For someone attacked by Peter Hale, she seemed remarkably composed and clean. There was no blood not even any sweat. I would have to investigate that. "Come on, Lil, we'll explain."  
As we lead Lily away, Allison passed me and yanked me away from Stiles and Lily. They stopped, both clearly frustrated but keeping it to them although Lily crossed her arms in impatience.  
"Allison can we talk later, I'm really busy-"  
"Now." Allison replied a little too forcefully, her nails digging into the flesh of his forearm. I wondered what she was thinking; she could ruin everything if one of the Hunter's kids or a teacher saw them together and accidently let it slip. "Now would be better." She said, releasing me. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying.  
"Allison, what happened?" I replied, with worry. Ever since the night at the police station thinks hadn't been the same. We'd both been more distant, me and Stiles trying to deal with a list of problems whilst Allison, beautiful, reckless Allison tried to kill Derek Hale.  
"It doesn't matter," she said when obviously, it did. I wasn't sure whether I should take Stiles's advice and just apologize to try and make her feel better but what would I say if she questioned my sorry? Go running off with my tail between my legs? "I don't know how to say this but… I don't think we should see each other anymore…"  
I heard Lily let out a little 'Aww.' Of sympathy but I ignored it. "Is this just a stunt, Allison? To make them believe we're really broken up?" _Please let this just be a gimmick._  
Allison dabbed at her leaking eyes, furiously. I knew she hated letting people see her cry despite the fact she looked beautiful when she did. "Nah," she replied in a far off voice and then she looked directly at Stiles. No, not at Stiles, through him. She seemed a million miles away. "No, Scott, this is real."  
"But- Allison! Do you remember what we always tell each other?" I almost begged. She couldn't leave me. She was everything to me, she was almost as important as oxygen. She was more important than gravity and water. Allison kept me going. "'No one can split us apart because we'll…'"  
"'…be together forever…'" she finished but I could tell in her voice that she no longer believed that. "But that's not true, is it Scott? Because Forever is a Lie!"

And then Allison stormed off, towards her next class leaving a gaping hole of destruction in the place that once held my heart.


	5. 5: No such thing

**Thanks for all the follows and support guys, really appreciate it. If you could take some time just to write a review, I'd love to get so feedback, your thoughts or any ideas you might have for this story. FOREVER YOURS, Sarah-Supernatural 14**

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Lily's P.O.V

"So you're all… werewolves?" they sounded insane but their voices were calm and steady, not the voice of liars'. They were telling the truth but it was impossible! There was no such thing as shape-shifters just like there was no such thing as true love.  
"Yes." Scott answered plainly, not looking up from the floor. He hadn't looked at either of them since the encounter with Allison in the hall only moments before. "Well, I am, Stiles isn't."  
Lily turned to Stiles who was nodding, confirming the statement. "What are you then?"  
"Just plain, old, _good-looking, human;_ Stiles." He replied.  
"Okay…" I said, breathing heavily and running a hand through my hair. I placed my hands on my lap, taking everything in. So it was all real after all, the supernatural. I sat down so my legs wouldn't buckle with the weight of the realization "You said earlier I was in danger. What did you mean?" Scott and Stiles exchanged a look that told me they didn't want to tell me the truth. I gave them both a hard glare. "Come on guys! You can't just tell me this crap and then not let me defend myself! I was already attacked by some maniac-" Scott got up so fast I almost fell out of my chair. He ran to my side and grabbed my tightly.  
"Hey! Watch it! I think it's-" I frowned, looking down and releasing there was absolutely no pain, not even a twinge of discomfort. Scott ripped my sleeves up and examined my neck roughly.  
"Did he bite you?" he said frantically although I barely heard him, I was looking down at my left arm, an angry purple bruise had appeared on the delicate olive flesh and as I stared at it, it melted away into nothing before my very eyes. I pulled my head up at a snail's pace, preparing for the shock and horror in Scott's face. When our eyes connected, I saw understanding not horror but this infuriated me and I yanked my arm out of his firm grip.  
"No, he didn't bite me." I replied, breaking the tension in the room. "I'm not a werewolf but I could've sworn my arm was broken. I don't know what's going on but you better tell me if you know because I'll…." I trailed off, deciding not to share my pathetic threats. My head felt like it'd been put on the highest cycle in a washer machine. I swayed backwards and had to catch myself on a desk.  
"Hey, Lily, are you okay?" Stiles asked helping me to my feet, as soon as my back erected I doubled over again in agony. My kidneys felt like they were on fire and as I stared at the floor, curtained by my hair. I could hear the careful pitter-patter of blood on tiles before I saw red droplets scattered across the floor. Luckily, it was way before classes start so I was at little risk of being seen but that was the least of my problems. The growing pain in my abdomen became almost unbearable and I began punching at it in a desperate attempt to make it stop.  
"No!" I screamed at him and began panting for air. I'd never felt so sick before in my life, not even when I was little and had an accident that scarred me for life. I'd been eight and my parents had been out of date night. Grandma had fallen asleep and I'd gotten hungry. She'd left the chip pan burning away and so I stood on a chair and tried to reach it. I'd pulled it off and hot oil had missed my face by just inches, scorching my right shoulder blade and down my back. I'd blacked out and woken up in hospital the next morning looking into the face of a stunned doctor. They'd called me miracle child because the burns should have killed me. Instead they left an intricate flesh pattern of stars and crescent moons', Grandma had called it a sign from god but the old hag couldn't talk because she should have been watching me. "Get me to the nurse, please!" I said in a kind but impatience way.  
Stiles and Scott both helped lift me to my feet. I teetered on my feet and I couldn't stand straight but I managed a few paces.

Then the world exploded.

I screamed in pain and at exactly the same time the lights imploded, caving in before shattering. It was – again – impossible. A light bulb couldn't collapse on itself. I yelled and yelled as the pain grew and raced through my bodies to every extremity. Stiles and Scott were thrown backwards by an invisible force and then something amazing and horrifying happened.

Then I was electrocuted.

A bolt hit me sending white hot light shredding through my body. I screamed and this time it was a real, excruciating scream. Then the pain suddenly ceased, no fading into nothing, no slow decent. Just stopped. I looked up and saw that Stiles was unconscious and Scott was giving me a wide eyed stare of terror. I looked down and saw why. My hands and arms danced with aqua lightning. It twitched off me, hitting the floor, table and chairs and scorching them until they were charcoal. I shut my eyes against all the impossibilities of the day. When I opened them my lightning was gone but Scott was still glaring at me like I was some kind of monster. Like I was an abomination.

I ran. Just left Scott and Stiles to stare after me not even caring if they were hurt. I smashed into someone for the second time today. I looked up, seeing Isaac and my eyes filled with tears. I didn't even think. I just hugged him. He smelled familiar. Of wolf – and trees, vegetation and musk but most of all… wet dog.

Isaac's P.O.V

I was kicking myself when I finally arrived at school. It had taken me far too long to get here but after my fight with Peter Hale, I'd had too many scratches and rips in both my skin and clothes that I wouldn't be able to explain it. I rushed home to change and wash away the blood. It seemed so lost now without my dad. Not that I was complaining, it just felt… empty. After the police investigation, they'd allowed me back in the house on my own. I didn't have any living relatives and I'd just lost my home. I stripped off the ruined clothes and threw on black jeans, a blue shirt, doc martins and my leather jacket.  
I had to get to the school, make sure she was okay and then I was done. Out. I wouldn't see Lily Anderson again. I'd leave her alone, to her human life. I wouldn't talk to her unless I had too. I wouldn't acknowledge her unless we were partners in class which was unlikely because I only had three classes with her. I wouldn't look at her even when I was on the bench in lacrosse and she was running track in that little pair of shorts that I could just…. You see. I need to disconnect myself from her. She's starting to become my Achilles heel.  
I was a predator; I could've ripped her apart. I don't know what stopped me, just because of those brown eyes, that delicate, lean body that I could just slip…. No! I had to stop thinking about her. Put her at a distance; push her away.  
I took a shortcut through the forest and made it to school ten minutes later. As I was walking up the steps I got a nauseous feeling in my stomach and I had to grip the balustrade to stop myself falling. It withered under my grip and snapped in two pieces like a twig under a boot.

Then I heard the scream.

"Lily!" I howled, composing myself. The brief nausea had faded and I could stand on my own once again. Dark, murky clouds hung over Beacon Hills High School and in the distance lightning followed thunder. The heavens opened and a heavy down pour made freshman, juniors and seniors alike scream and moan. I was drenched within seconds and stomping my way into school. "LILY!"

Then someone banged into me. The girl with long dark hair looked up at me with beautiful brown eyes filled with crystal tears. Then she hugged me. I stiffened. My father had never hugged me and the last time I'd been hugged was before my mother left us. I'd been seven, playing outside in the garden with Matt. Matt used to be my friend, we'd trade comic books and he used to share his animal crackers with me before he went all dark-side on me. Anyway, we'd been playing baseball and I went into get a glass of juice. When I came back out, Matt was practicing his swing and didn't see me. The baseball bat smashed into the side of my head. It hadn't been a hard hit but enough to make me cry, my dad had took Matt home and my mum had given me a band-aid and then she'd said 'I love you, honey, I love you so much.'  
God, my mum had been beautiful. Short, choppy blonde hair and bejeweled green eyes that shone intensely like emeralds. It was because of my dad she had left, even though he blamed me. That was our relationship. Blame on blame. He'd been so devastated when she'd left us. Truly heartbroken that he'd first taken his aggression out on Camden, then me.

After a few moments, I relaxed slightly but I was still tense. What had I said about staying away from this chick? There were a hundred other pretty girls in this school that I could fuck. Or eat. Or both. What made Lily Anderson so special?  
I stroked her hair; it wafted the smell of leaves, perfume and chocolate back at me. It was her turn to stiffen. We both pulled away and then in a calm, low voice asked. "What happened?"


	6. 6: Kisses 'N' Stuff

Lily's P.O.V

"Spill." Olivia said as soon as I sat down in my desk, I gave her a questioning look but I already knew what she was talking about. Olivia was the gossip of Beacon Hills. She was so successful because all she had to do was flash those brilliant white teeth at someone and they would melt against that radiant, warm smile. Olivia's father was the local – and only – dentist in the town and so he knew everyone and therefore his daughter knew everyone's business. I felt stupid about how public I'd been when hugging Isaac and everybody knew I'd been the one who'd screamed.  
"Spill what?" I replied innocently. I glanced around the room, pretending to read the posters and pin-ups and saw that more than one set of eyes was on me. A girl like me didn't fall for a hot guy like Isaac Lahey. There was a time when the two of us might have had a chance. When Isaac was still a grave digger at the local cemetery and I was a total social pariah - except for Olivia and Delilah who (back then) floated between friend and close acquaintance – that if we'd got together no one would really care but something had changed in Isaac….. he wasn't the kid in third grade who'd I'd laughed and played with, he was the confident – and I did have to save sexy – bad boy that hung out with people like Danny and Erica, some of the most popular people in school. That left me, the embarrassingly shy, awkward and ugly Lily Anderson.  
"We all saw you Lily," Delilah said her voice low and soft as silk. Her voice had to be the sexiest, huskiest voice I have ever heard. Delilah was perfect in every way, her cocoa skin was completely flawless and her fake but naturalistic maroon hair that matched her almost black eyes perfectly. She wasn't a skinny kid like me or petite like Olivia but luscious with curves in all the right places. "With Isaac. You don't have to hide it, we were just wondering-?"  
"Why someone like him would be seeing someone like me?" I replied for them coldly and turned my back on Delilah. I just wanted the day to be over. Now. It felt as though everyone was staring at me even though they weren't, like they were accusing me of being with a guy way out of my league.  
"No! No! We wouldn't think that in a million years, Lily…." Olivia comforted, turning that beautiful smile on me. I knew then to be careful. Despite her caring words and her soft skin as it took my hand supportively, I knew Olivia too well to trust that lethal smile.  
"You're seeing each other?" asked Delilah. It was only a question but it felt more like a suggestion; or an accusation. Delilah chewed her pencil and turned, winking at Stiles whose face turned an angry shade of red whilst he sunk into his seat with his mouth hanging open and then he saw me and tensed. I looked away quickly.  
"No." I said trying to think of a good enough excuse explaining my reckless actions with Isaac but every time I thought of him, his face filled my mind and allowed nothing else to think. His dark blonde bordering on brown curls, clear blue eyes almost like glass and pale skin won't erase itself from my head. I used to laugh at books I'd read where the girls were too dumb to see that the hot guy who liked her wasn't in love with her he just wanted her for one thing…  
"Well?" Delilah probed, dragging me out of some very explicit and deeply buried fantasies.  
"It's the three year anniversary of my parents deaths' and I felt a bit…down… so I went into a classroom and fell asleep and I dreamed of that night. Isaac was offering moral support." I could see by both their narrowed eyes that they didn't buy it but at least they left it alone. Everyone knew that it was my parents' anniversary. Beacon Hills was a tiny town with one high school so naturally everybody knew but it just felt _too_ public. Why couldn't they just mind their own business?

Just as I'd get settled and was actually beginning to enjoy history class, an announcement was made. _**'Please can Liliana Anderson, Isaac Lahey, Scott McCall and Stiles Staliniski report to the Principal's office. Thank you.'**_  
I looked at Olivia who gave me a What-the-hell hand gesture because I _never_ got in trouble. I got good grades, kept my head down and didn't skip school. I only knew one reason why I'd been called the principal's office after the chaos I'd rained in the classroom a few hours previous, the hardly possible things I'd been able to do…..

Scott's P.O.V

I and Stiles were waiting outside the principal's office like we had many times before when Lily Anderson turned the corner. Stiles grabbed a magazine and forced it in front of his face as if it would help him disappear from the world. Mrs. Argent gave her a thin but moderately friendly smile as she passed her by but Lily didn't return the gesture. She had a face like thunder like she sincerely wished she wasn't there. Before the girl even had a chance to sit down, I started firing questions at her.  
"What did you do back there? Why did you do? What _are you_?"  
She pushed a finger harshly to her lips and slapped me on the arm. It was then I realized what a massive change had occurred over spring break. She was much more confident, I remembered the Lily from the last term. The Lily that never even lifted her head in most classes and now she was talking to me and hugging Isaac. What the hell had happened to her?  
"I don't know!" she replied in an angry, frantic whisper as she threw her satchel to the ground. "I have absolutely no idea what happened! I'm as freaked as you."  
"Are you sure you weren't bitten?" Stiles asked in an incredibly loud voice, we both glared at his stupidity, wide-eyed.  
"Stiles!" we both squeaked in unison.  
"Well if it isn't the geek squad…" said Isaac as he approached the trio. As he passed main reception, Mrs. Argent stared at him with inhuman contempt. Isaac growled bellow human hearing level and continued his confident walk and sat next to Lily.  
"Watch it, wolf-boy, remember we know your little secret…" Isaac was shaking his head frantically behind Lily's back and thrusting his head in her direction. "Oh, she knows." Stiles shot him a smug smile and Isaac's baffled face was turned on Lily who was looking at Stiles through bulging, pissed off eyes.  
"I'll explain later," she spat, not taking her eyes off Stiles. He withered under the weight of her look and began sinking into his seat as if being swallowed by it. I just rolled my eyes at the both of them. Just then, the re-instated Sheriff Staliniski appeared from Gerard's office. As soon as Stiles saw his father, the magazine rushed back up to his face, smothering it completely.  
"Hi Scott," he said, ignoring his hooligan of a son and talking to me. He saw Isaac and nodded. "Isaac…" he paused when he saw Lily and a look of astonishment crossed over his face. "Lily? Lily Anderson?" Lily's cheeks flushed a deep crimson and she wouldn't meet his eye. The sheriff looked at the boys with a suspicious tint in his face. "If you boys have been getting this young lady in trouble-"  
"Dad, we didn't do anything!" Stiles said suddenly, jumping defensively. His dad sighed and waved a dismissive hand meaning he'd lost the argument. His deputy's smirked behind Sheriff Staliniski's back and all four of us practically snarled. Mr. Staliniski was a good, decent, honest man and didn't deserve that kind of disrespect.  
"Gentlemen," Gerard announced as he strolled from his office. "And Miss." He spoke as if he was surprised but I knew that Gerard thought anyone who hung out with him or Isaac would end up in trouble, turned or dead.

Gerard's P.O.V

Once that noisy Sheriff was done sniffing around, I had to deal with the usual kids I saw in my office except one. A Lily Anderson, apparently a straight A student who no history of any sort of trouble but seeing as she was friends with Scott and the Lahey boy it was likely that she wasn't here by coincident. I looked at the report and saw the damage that had been done to the home economics classroom. Definitely not coincidence.  
"Gentlemen," I said with mock friendliness, I could play the friendly principal. I could play a lot of roles, for example, the sweet, charming grandfather that tells stories and bakes bread. "And Miss." I surveyed her with hard eyes and forced myself to soften me. If this girl was a wolf, I would kill her. There were already far too many wolves in Beacon Hills. Scott, he could tolerate but the Lahey boy and the Reyes girl along with the newly turned black one and Derek Hale. That was too much.  
"I'm assuming you all know why you're here…" They fanned innocence as the Staliniski boy rushed for a seat but the Lahey boy got there before him. Scott courteously gave up his seat for Lily to sit down but she was adamant to sit next to him. How '_sweet'_. The Anderson girl had some sort of feelings for the Lahey boy but how much those feelings amounted to was still unknown to me. "Don't play dumb, all four of you were caught on CCTV sneaking into-"  
"It was me." Isaac said flatly as the others told to him, mouths hanging open. Gerard knew that it was probably all of them and that they had no explanation for it because it was supernatural. If it was just the three boys he would tell them he needed the truth but he wasn't sure whether the Anderson girl knew or not. "A prank gone wrong," he explained "Sorry."  
"Ah." It was a good enough explanation for a clueless human but not for me. "You do understand the severity of this situation Mr. Lahey-"  
"It was me, too!" The Anderson girl said in a rush and I saw Lahey squeeze his eyes together in exasperation. I knew what he was thinking, that she had just made a huge error admitting to that much destruction. If it had been only Lahey then I would've known it was a werewolf but she complicated things.  
"I don't think-"  
Mr. Staliniski suddenly roared "It was us, too!"  
I slammed my fists against the desk in frustration, making the Anderson girl jump in her seat. "Detention. All of you. For a week. For two hours. After school."  
The response I got was a shout and I only made out the word 'Tra-crosse!' "Woah! One at a time!"  
"With all due respect Mr. Argent, I have Track after school!" she spat in a jumble of words.  
I gave her a questioning look. "Track?"  
She shut her eyes in exhaustion… or frustration. "Cross country."  
"Yeah and we all have Lacrosse." Stiles said straight after her making a triangle with his finger so it included himself, Scott and Isaac.  
"I'm sorry," the apology was more to the girl; I have no sympathy for wolves or sympathizers/protectors. "My decision is final."

Lily's P.O.V

As I strolled, head planted on the ground, towards the hell that was known as detention, Olivia spotted me on the way.  
Olivia was dressed in her Track uniform, yet another painful reminder of a tiring day. "Hey," she said in a cheery way with that fantastic smirk seeming more like a pit bull bearing its teeth. "Aren't you going to Track?"  
"No," I said sadly, jealousy uncoiling in the pit of my stomach like a python reclining. "I've got detention."  
"WHAT?" replied Olivia, flailing and being overly dramatic as usual. I rolled my eyes but I do have to say, it is a pretty big moment in high school history. Lily Anderson gets detention is almost like saying Rednecks don't drink. "But you're the fastest runner on the whole friggin' team and we've got a championship in two weeks!"  
"I know," willing to admit my talents in that particular area of my talents in that particular area of my life because running really was my life. It made me feel free and lifted all the back-breaking responsibilities away for a few blissful hours. "It was supposed to be for a whole week but me and Scott went back and convinced the principal-"  
"You? And Scott McCall?" she said it incredulously followed by a giggle as if she couldn't believe I had a social life outside of her and Delilah.  
"Yes," I growled through gritted teeth "but you can't comment." I clamped my mouth shut and frowned inwardly. Had I really just said that?  
Olivia's glorious smirk faltered "Excuse me?"  
"You heard." God, where were these words coming from?  
"If you have something to say, Lily," Olivia tone dropped to low and intimidating and her smile vanished. "Then _say. It._"  
"Well, you're not exactly the most trustworthy are you, Olivia?"  
"Trustworthy?" she hissed, "So you call screwing Isaac Lahey and not even telling your best friend about it trust?"  
My cheeks became as hot as a mug of coffee "I'm not having sex with Isaac! I just met him properly today!" I replied a little too loudly, dropping my voice to a harsh whisper.  
"Maybe if you weren't such a gossip-!"  
"GOSSIP!" Olivia shrieked "you know what Liliana Anderson, got to hell! And take Isaac with you!"  
"Screw you, too!" When I left Olivia I was absolutely seething with rage, I just wanted to go to detention so I could go home. It felt as if my day couldn't get worse until….

….. Someone grabbed my shoulder, yanking me into a darkened stretch of shadows enveloped me; the hand realized its steel grip. I looked up and saw who it was.  
"Isaac? What the hell!" but he hushed me by putting a pale finger to my lips.  
"Why do you know about werewolves?" he said in a rush as I wriggled away from his touch, I tried to leave but his outstretched arm prevented me. "Tell me, Lily."  
"I said I'd tell you in detention," I replied, moving to leave but he leaned in closer, stopping me. I pushed him back but he took hold of my elbows at the last minute and twisted so I was yet again leaning against the opposite corridor wall on my back.  
"Lily, it's important, just tell me."  
"No." I said indifferently, "I'll tell you in detention." I pushed him back using all my strength and he fell to the floor, taking me with him. His back hit the floor and I landed on him. Isaac gave me a mischievous smile but I was too horrified to play into his little game. I lost my grip and he rolled so he was on top of me. I tried to push him off me and wriggle out of his grip but he was stronger than I was. Isaac looped his fingers through mine, pining me to the floor. I tried to throw him off by swishing my hips and kneeing his back, he only laughed at my efforts. Isaac leaned in close so that his mouth brushed my ear as he spoke.  
"Tell me," the sound of his voice sent shivers down my spine. He was so close I could smell the essence of his shampoo not that I was purposefully smelling his hair he was just there.  
"Get off!" I yelled, trying to wriggle free but he had me in an almost perfect position and I couldn't get up.  
"For the fifth time, Lily, just tell me!"  
"Fine!" I squealed, glaring at him which only made him smirk "Something happened in the classroom, something to do with me. It was impossible and freaky and… I don't k-know."  
I looked to see if he'd listened and he had but he still didn't release me and I didn't mind. "Thank you," he said. His face was so close to mine I could see all his features in so much clarity. I couldn't believe that every full moon he became a horrible man-wolf creature because that seemed so far away from his looks. Then Isaac Lahey kissed me.

All I know is his lips crashed into mine and it felt _so_ good. Isaac was a fantastic kisser. He bit my bottom lip carefully and teasingly I refused entry, smiling to myself. He shoved his hips into me and I gasped, opening my mouth just long enough for him to slip in. Isaac made a noise deep in his throat that I could only place as a purr or a growl. His lips tasted spicy and hot and set my senses on fire.  
"Mr. Lahey, Miss Anderson?" my head thrust upwards and I was staring at an upside down version of Mr. Harris then I realized I was still on the floor and Isaac had just kissed me and I'd let him. I felt my face warm with shame, embarrassment and excitement. That had been fantastic and my first time. "Don't you both have somewhere to be?"  
Isaac gave him a soft snarl that only I heard. He rolled off me and I got up in a rush, squeezing past Harris in shame and rushing to detention only looking back to see Isaac winking at me.


	7. 7: Falling For The Wolf

Stiles' P.O.V

Gerard couldn't make it to our detention – I wonder why – so a sub 'watched' us if you could call putting in your headphones and checking your Facebook, watching a person. Three of us – me, Scott and Lily – were sat in detention until Isaac arrived five minutes later. When he saw Lily, he smiled and she turned a deep shade of red. Something had happened and Stiles really didn't want to know the details.  
"Hey, losers…" he said as he passed them, for Isaac, the insult was pathetic so I had to assume he was happy about something. Isaac sat down next to Scott so he was opposite Lily and me. As soon as his butt touched the seat the table exploded into a rally of questions.  
"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Lily said waving her hands for silence. "One at a time!"  
"What happened in the classroom?" Isaac said, before I could speak. I made my displeasure known by purposefully allowing my flailing to falter. They all ignored me as Scott and Lily exchanged a nervous look. "Well?"  
"I got dragged into the classroom by these guys to explain what had happened earlier, then I got this really, really painful feeling in my stomach and then the lightbulbs exploded and the next thing I know, Stiles is on the floor unconscious and Scott's giving me a weird look and I get electrocuted and then he gives me a horrified look…" she paused to catch her breath, she was speaking quickly to try and dim how insane she sounded which I had done many times but, as usual it wasn't working. "And then I looked down and my hands had this weird lightning thing wrapped around them and whatever I touched burned."  
Everyone looked at Isaac expectantly and for a while everything was silent and then he _laughed_. "And you actually expect me to believe this?"  
"Yes!" the three of us shouted together and the sub looked up and glared at us through narrowed eyes, she placed a finger to her lip and the four of us fell into silence…. For about five seconds.  
"So…" Lily encouraged, looking directly into his eyes. Something passed between them, an unspoken conversation that was complicated and cute although all the love-in-the-air crap made me want to gag.  
"So?"  
"So… do you believe us?"  
Isaac looked away for a second, faking contemplation. "Yes, I do believe you. I'm just trying to work out what you could be…"  
Lily turned to me and Scott and frowned. "What I could be? There are others?"  
Isaac laughed. "What they didn't tell you?" he said to Lily and then turned to us and said "How do you two losers even survive?"  
Scott ignored him. "Yeah, but the thing that could tell us what you are is written in Arcadian Latin."  
"Hey, maybe you're some kind of demon?" I laughed, Isaac gave an amused snort and Scott rolled his eyes but Lily gave me that glare that could freeze my soul and I reclined in my seat, ceasing all jokes.  
"Shut it, nerd." Lily punched Isaac in the shoulder and he faked being hurt before continuing "So we got any other ideas?"  
"I know!" I said, having a sudden realization. I was bursting to talk but people were untrustworthy of my motives after the bad pun.  
"If you're going to make another joke…" Lily began.  
"No!" I said as if it was the most absurd thing I'd ever heard "Scott, what about the Veterinarian? He might know"  
Scott gawped at me in awe. "Stiles you're a genius!" he said and I basked in the glory of that compliment.  
"Veterinarian?" Lily asked, understandably confused with the path our conversation had gone down.  
"Scott's boss," Isaac explained to the clueless girl "He's kind of like an advisor. Or so I've been told."  
"Yeah," I replied, nodding my agreement. "If anyone knows, he will."

The rest of detention was spent planning. We learned from Isaac that after seeing Dr. Deaton, Derek learned that Peter wasn't an Alpha as he thought and Peter got kidded out of the Pack, it was a huge relief and apparently, none of the other werewolves had made a move on Allison or Lydia which was fantastic news. That only left Jackson, who was missing. Matt had turned up drowned meaning the Kanima had a new master but no one knew who. Although that was pretty high on the list of problems, we needed to sort out Lily first; she could even help us stop whatever this new master might be planning.

When the second hour was finally up, everybody – including the teacher – gathered their bags in a rush and left detention. Isaac had to check in with the Pack so that left the three of them to visit Dr. Deaton, seeing as Scott was supposed to be going to work today, it shouldn't be so hard.

Gerard P.O.V

Later that evening, the substitute teacher I had placed in detention with the kids came visited me to report on what she'd discovered. I'd smelled something fishy from the start and now I had a confirmation although it was far from my previous suspicions.  
"They don't know what the girl is," she finally said after she relayed the information Lily had given first hand of her account of the classroom incident which, to be fair, wasn't very reliable but it was enough. "They're going to visit the Veterinarian tonight to find out what she is."  
The Hunters that had gathered in the basement of my son's house were waiting expectantly for orders. They wanted a hunt tonight but I couldn't decide whether to make a strategically plan or improvise and cut them off before they got to the animal clinic. We still didn't know how dangerous this young lady was but from the havoc caused in the classroom… well, they couldn't let it happen again.  
"Well then," he said to his troops as they held their machine and shot guns tightly "Let's take her down."

Isaac's P.O.V

Stiles's Jeep could only hold to people therefore he took Scott and I had to scavenge for a ride off Erica which meant she had to come and I had to let her in on our plan. I trusted Erica but she was fiercely loyal to Derek like I was – at least most of the time – and I had a reluctance to tell her in case she relayed the information back to Derek. In the end, I was strapped for time and had to beg Erica to give me a ride. I told her about as much as I dared and she was mildly intrigued.  
"So, who's the freak?" she asked and any other time I would have given an amused snort but this was different. She was talking about Lily.  
"She's not a freak!" I snapped defensively and wished I could take the words right back. That sounded far too guilty.  
"Oh. Has someone got a little crush?" Erica teased pulling on my leather jacket. Before I became a werewolf I would have been happily shocked if a girl was being this seductive but I knew Erica well enough to know love never lasted very long around her.  
"No." this time my voice was level and controlled and I allowed no guilt to seep thorough. But why should I feel guilty? They were no longer after any of the targets with Hale out of the Pack so why did it matter whether or not I kissed a girl. Her taste still clung on my lips and I relished in it. The kiss had been the best I'd ever had, not that I had that many, but it had sent my heart palpitating.  
"Really?" Erica replied skeptically and circled me like a predator watching its prey and calculating what to do next. "Because I can smell her. All. Over. You." She said her lips brushing against my mouth, if it had been any other girl I'd have been aroused but I knew Erica well enough now to know she was only teasing and would never actually do anything just merely admire. "and she smells _good._" Sometimes I doubted if Erica was really human anymore, like Derek she exploited the wolf to the fullest and was anything but moderate. Me? I liked to think of myself as half-wolf half-human although I did use the 'Them-and-Us' quote far too often but her…well, wolf was all she really knew.

We sat in silence for most of the ride to the animal clinic the only thing filling the crushing silence being the radio announcing heavy downpours for most of next week. I liked the quiet though, it allowed me to think clearly without having to engage in conversation or explain myself. My thoughts were all about Lily, brown eyes like melted Belgium chocolate and hair as dark as charcoal with tanned, olive skin. We hadn't talked about the kiss yet, hadn't had chance. Then my thoughts went wondering to my father and the recurrent nightmares that brought with it. Me and Lily were similar in the parent department. For one both our parents were dead and another, we had 'animal' attacks in common but were Lily had been loved up until the moment of their deaths', my own mother had left me to the mercy of my dad but that didn't mean Lily hadn't had any traumatic experiences as a child. I only knew of one that everyone knew of, when she'd been burned as a child. The girls' in the corridors said she always went into the toilets to change and one girl had said she'd seen the scars that everyone was so fascinated about; the symbols of stars and moons. To me it was bull, scars were scars. They weren't interesting or pretty, but ugly reminders that ruined people's lives. I had far too many not to know this.

When we pulled up I could sense something was wrong immediately. Hostile, human scents clung to the air like daggers making the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I tried to hone in on the clinic and heard at least eight muffled voices. That meant Scott, Lily, Stiles, The Vet and four others. Erica noticed it too and she gave me a weary look and shook her head. I ignored her and got out silently, using the stealth of the wolf so my footfalls made only the dust around them dissipate. Erica swept from the car and moved similarly. I could feel the tension building up inside us both, the urge to hunt and kill was fresh within us both. As we reached the door, I saw it had been booted in and it sent me into a frenzy of worry, I almost lost my nerve and stormed in but Erica put a hand out to stop me, warning me how reckless that would be.

I lead Erica through the collapsed doorway and into the main reception. The lights flickered and sent a spray of static at us as if they'd been shattered and all that was left was open cables which didn't surprise me. In the waiting room, chairs lay in splinters and the small coffee tables were over turned. I pushed open the little door that connected us to the surgery rooms and then a volley of shouts rang out and something collided with Erica.  
"ERICA!" I screamed her name but she wasn't fast enough and an arrow punctured her side. I looked around the small, surgical room to see that the walls had been painted with blood. At least two hunters were dead and the Veterinarian lay in a slumped mess tucked safely into a corner of the room. I looked around and saw that Stiles was also on the floor but was very much awake and terrified. Scott was battling Mrs. Argent and losing as Lily faced the other hunters.  
With a cry, power surged down from the artificial lights and coursed through coming to land in her arms. She sent a ray of lightning at a hunter which made him catch fire and sent him screaming to the ground. Another hunter, one I vaguely knew as Ulrik, rushed at her and ceased her arm. Ulrik convulsed as soon as he touched her and roared in agony as she pushed him off.

I saw the Kanima all too late as it leaped from the ceiling and grabbed Lily, holding a clawed hand to her throat.  
"Anybody moves," Gerard said, dislodging himself from the shadows with a triumphant sneer plastered across his face. "And Jackson rips her throat out."  
"Please," I begged putting a cautious hand forward, this only made Jackson's claws curl around her neck and penetrate the skin. Lily cried out. "Please! Please, don't hurt her." _Oh God, don't let them hurt her._ I thought. I'd stopped believing in God a long time ago because if the prick loved me so much then why'd he let my father beat me every day for five years. If God was real, he could do this one thing for me. "She's innocent."  
"She's _far_ from innocent, Mr. Lahey." Said Gerard with a dry chuckle. It was a graining, awful mocking sound that rattled me and made me want to rip his head off.  
I could see that Lily was deciding to use her lightning on Jackson or not. I gave her a look that told her not to do anything stupid. "Please," I said as Jackson hissed. "Kill me!"  
"No!" Lily shouted as soon as the words left my mouth.  
"I will and soon but I can't let her live-"  
"Gerard!" a voice snapped from the doorway. I turned to see Chris Argent come bounding into the room, holding his gun followed by his daughter Allison.  
"Allison! Get out of here!" Scott yelled at her. Allison didn't even look at the boy just kept her bow steadily trained on Jackson.  
"You can't do this," Chris continued, gripping the gun with a shaking fist. "You don't have any proof."  
"I can do anything I want," Gerard said through a haggard smile. "I control the Kanima now."  
To my astonishment, Chris fired the gun. Jackson sailed for the bullet but not before cutting the back of Lily's neck and releasing it toxin. Lily stood for a moment too shocked to move and then she swayed on her feet. I caught her fragile frame before I hit the ground. Her face paled and her lips moved wordlessly, whispering my name. Lily looked exhausted and very vulnerable, her eyes flitting in and out of consciousness.  
"Isaac…" she slurred as I pushed the hair from her suddenly sickly face. "Isaac…" it was terrifying to see her this weak and all I wanted to do was getting her out of here right now but Jackson was trying to attack an already injured Erica. Lily whispered something I couldn't understand so I leaned in closer.  
"Go…" she whispered. "Help them…"  
"No," I said at her, it felt like we were in our own little word because all I could hear from the outside world was Scott and Erica shrieking my name. I ran a hand through her silky black locks and she relaxed against me. "I'm not going anywhere."  
"Stiles," said Lily in a small voice, I gave her a questioning look. "Stiles!"  
I turned to where Stiles had been and saw he was skidding towards us. "W-what, what is it? Are you hurt?"  
"No, I'm just peachy. Dumbass." She said with a smile which earned an amused snort from Stiles. "Isaac, go. Stiles's will stay with me. Help your friends."  
I looked at Stiles and he was nodding in agreement. "They need you man."  
"Go!" Lily supported.  
I gave one last smile to Lily and kissed her on the forehead. Then I grabbed Stiles by his shirt and pulled him towards me. "Oh, God." He said in a quiet voice.  
"If _anything_ happens to her while I'm gone. I'm holding you_ personally_ responsible. Understand?"  
Stiles nodded and I released him before getting to my feet. I extended my claws and growled, launching myself at a hunter.


	8. 8: Just Us Against The Elements

Stiles's P.O.V

Once Isaac was done threatening me, he joined the fight and I was left with babysitting duty. Lily looked incredibly ill and I was worried for her, the sooner the fight was done, the better for her.  
"Hey, Stiles," Lily said panting slightly with the effort of talking. "You make a good Batman."  
"Thanks," Stiles replied trying to force a smile considering the situation but something was confusing me about what Lily had just said. Things didn't add up in my head. There were only two people that I discussed anything to do with Batman with. Those people were Scott and Erica. "…Wait, how do you know about that?"  
She pulled in two heavy breaths. "I don't know," She said and I could hear the honesty in her voice without even having to hear her heartbeat. "It's like I'm seeing your memories through your eyes." I looked down and saw that Lily was holding my hand limply. I gently slipped it from her grip and she frowned slightly.  
"It stopped." She said in confusion and then opened her eyes. "Do whatever you just did again." I took hold of her hand and her eyes glowed like a werewolf's. In shock I let got again and scrabbled away from her.  
"What the fu-?" Lily said and then went completely limp. I frowned, and shifted closer. I watched her chest and it didn't move. She was completely still.  
"Lily?" I inquired with an anxious grimace. When she didn't respond to my voice I nudged her and her head lolled like she was made of jelly. Then I knew something was wrong. "Lily!"

Erica's P.O.V

As Jackson swiped at me, I narrowly avoided. Isaac was too busy with his little inhuman bitch to even hear me or Scott. Eventually, with the help of Stiles and Lily, he prided himself away and joined the fight. Just as I thought Jackson was going to take my head off, Isaac moved in front of him and pushed him backwards with all his might. Jackson barely stumbled.

Whilst everyone was busy with at least one opponent. I ripped the arrow from my side with a roar. I jumped into the air, using my claws, I held onto the walls and began to climb. When I was in the top corner between the ceiling and wall, I allowed myself to fall onto a hunter. He hit the ground and moaned as a cut began to bleed again, shouting obscenities.  
I turned to him. His eyes burned with hate and disgust. I slashed at him and large cuts appeared on his torso. The guy stumbled backwards, swearing. I thought he'd given up but then he pulled out a knife rubbed in a purple powder. Fuck. I saw it too late and it shred through my cheek. I grabbed my face as searing pain raced through my veins. The man tried again but this time I took hold of his arm as the knife came down and twisted. He cried out and bone snapped. I put my boot on his throat and stamped.

Once I'd dispatched my opponent – if you could call a mindless, racist thug that – the fight was over quickly. There were only two people missing. Gerard and Jackson had taken off with Allison and her father, leaving behind the wounded and dead.

The Veterinarian came round moments later but didn't seem shocked or even surprised at the destruction done to his establishment. Before he could even ask Stiles began shouting for help with a limp girl lying still in his arms.

Isaac's P.O.V

When Stiles began screaming, my head snapped on him instinctively. Then I saw Lily. Then I saw _my_ Lily. She was so still it was almost beautiful. I honed my hearing to listen for a sign of life; a heartbeat, a pulse, a… a- anything but nothing came back to me. My legs buckled and I didn't even feel my knees as they harshly contacted the ground. Erica came limping over to me and squatted despite the agony she was undoubtedly in she hugged me with a grimace.  
"It'll be okay, the Vet will help her." Erica whispered and I thought I'd heard actual emotion in her voice but I couldn't be sure. If Erica wasn't such an ice princess I would have thought she'd actually meant it but you never knew with Erica.  
"Put her on the table." The Vet said hoarsely and Stiles lay her gently on the examination table he usually used for animals but today he would have a more challenging patient.  
Once Stiles had fully placed her down, I got to my feet and was on him within seconds. I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, his back sliding against the wall. Stiles was choking, the air trapped in his lungs couldn't escape and I didn't care.  
"I told you I would hold you responsible." I said squeezing tighter.  
"Stop." A voice said planting a hand on my chest. I saw my feral eyes reflected in Stiles', burning yellow lights spurred by rage. I turned to the voice and saw Scott, canines sharp as shattered glass and the same sunshine eyes gleaming back at me. "The more time you spend on him, the less chance she has of survival."  
I looked over to Lily, her silent frame covering the table and the Vet that was trying to get someone to explain and then I realized the only three people that could were us. I dropped Stiles and he fell in a spluttering mess. I moved over to the table.  
"What happened in that classroom?" the Vet asked in a rush, he had begun CPR but it was taking no effect. "Well?!"  
"She was electrocuted and it was kind of like she harnessed the power of the electricity," Scott explained it seemed that everyone – yes, even Erica – was staring at Lily in silent horror but no one was feeling the shock harder than me. "and she could control it."  
"I have an idea," he said quickly pulling out a vial. "but it could be dangerous."  
"Will it save her?" I pressured, if anything could save her then I would do it.  
"It might," the Vet said, putting a pale pink liquid into a plunger, using gloves, he placed a needle at the end. "But this is for you Isaac and only you. This," he said giving me a crushed up powder. "is Vinculum or in Latin, the Bond. If you eat this, a part of your life essence will go into her and she won't die but be warned it comes with side effects. You'll be tied together by mind and soul. You'll be able to sense what each other think and feel each other's emotions. You'll fall recklessly, purely and endlessly in love with each other and you'll feel everything she will feel and like-wise. It's a big responsibility, Isaac." Every pair of eyes in the room had suddenly turned to me as I gawked at the powder. I didn't care whether the Vet thought that was too much responsibility. I loved her, I didn't care whether it had only been a day and whether people thought I was insane because you couldn't fall for someone in one day but I had. I loved her so much it hurt.

I swallowed it and the Vet gave me a weary smile. Carefully, he placed the needle into Lily's throat and pushed down on it. For a few seconds, I felt nothing then my chest began to twist painfully and I grabbed it with a yell. Lily's fingers twitched. I screamed as the pain grew, it felt as though someone was slowly freezing me to death from the inside out.

At a snail's pace Lily sat up and her beautiful brown eyes fluttered open. She looked right at me, her eyes melting my soul. Lily jumped from the table and took hold of my face in her still chilled hands and lifted my face to her lips. The kiss was brief but so full of lust and desire it was almost painful when she pulled away.  
She kissed me again but it was nowhere near as deep just a simple brush of the lips.

Then the world went dark.

Lily's P.O.V

When Isaac blacked out, I struggled to stop his skull cracking against the floor. All my muscles still felt weak and out of place but all I'd known when I'd woken up is that I wanted Isaac _so_ badly. I rubbed my aching head and looked from face to face. Dr. Deaton had only a thin smile for me whereas Stiles and Scott looked both shocked and awed and Erica… well, Erica looked half-intrigued, half-bored.  
"What happened?" I slurred and lay down next to Isaac on the floor. I was surrounded by dead bodies, blood and brains that plastered the walls and the ground I lay on but shockingly I couldn't give a damn.  
"You. Isaac. Hunters. Fight." Erica said in a slow voice as if I was too stupid or young to understand the words. I glared at her and she seemed surprised but not fazed. I tried to stand up but just toppled over landing, humiliatingly, on my ass. Scott came over and held out his hand which I graciously too. Once I was on my feet and everyone was gathered near the Vet he began to explain.  
"I'm sure Scott will be happy to fill you in later but right now, Lily, we have something more important," he said. He moved to a draw and pulled out a bound, rotting leather book. "I think I know what you are."  
I gave him and awed and thankful look and he opened the little book. He leafed through page after ancient page. His fingers finally came to land on a page titled: **'Adepts & Elementals'**.  
I whispered the two words to myself, fascinated by the old drawings and pictures of obscure people conjuring fire, water, air and- and lightning.  
"You, Lily, are an Adept & Elemental or… as persecutors call you… a witch. At first I thought you were just an elemental being able to manipulate the Spirit Element but then Scott and Stiles told me you had superior strength and speed which is a leaning on Adept, that lead me to believe you were some sort of hybrid."  
I leaned against the table taking it all in. I glanced down at the small book and asked if I could read the writing, it was in Spanish which I knew so I should be okay.

_Adepts are mythical people able to use spells and charms. Almost all are born with superior strength, speed, agility and senses; some are born with the ability to morph into animals such as wolves, bears and wild cats. A few can even teleport and fly if the concentration is strong enough. _

I breathed in a large breath and exhaled, my body was wobbling with excitement and anticipation as I read on.

_Elementals are the opposite of Adepts and are almost completely normal. There only born power is the ability to manipulate a or some elements. The supernatural such as werewolves are compulsively drawn to both Elementals and Adepts because of the enhanced beauty and kindness. _

I paused at 'compulsively drawn' and knew how true it was, the whole of today it was like I couldn't get away from Isaac and the rest of the time I was around Scott or Erica. Both supernatural. Both werewolves.  
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, I said. "So…" I sighed, looking from face to face who, unsurprisingly, were all staring at me with dueled expressions. "What do we do now?"  
It looked as if everyone had their own motives for my powers but no one knew exactly what to do, everyone was too shell-shocked to react.  
"Go home, Lily," the Vet said after no one responded, "Rest, heal and tomorrow you can discuss all of this later and you three boys have a championship tomorrow."


	9. 9: Memories

Lily's P.O.V

I could tell from everyone's expressions when they came into school the next day no one had slept well. Dark rings were etched under Stiles eyes and when he said 'hey' to me, he had the signature morning breath of a late night, Scott kept stifling a yawn in Spanish and Erica fell asleep in chemistry. Not that I was any better in fact, I suffered from all those symptoms and more, my muscles ached when I moved like I'd been lying uncomfortably all night and my eyes were so tired it was painful.  
I had all three classes that I usually had with Isaac today but he didn't show up for the first one, Chemistry, and I began to get worried. I turned to Erica and gave her a questioning look but she just shrugged and wouldn't stop staring at me. I didn't know why I was being so protective. Isaac was a sixteen year old man who could look after himself.  
The last of the day was Calculus and Isaac did turn up but so did Lydia. Just what I needed. As he came in Isaac sat next to me but wouldn't meet my eye, I realized why when I gave him a sideways look and saw a large black eye had formed like he'd been fighting. I thought werewolves healed immediately but obviously it was a slower process than I'd first thought.  
"How's my favorite little freak?" Lydia chimed as she sat behind me. I rolled my eyes and ignored her. "Excuse me, I'm talking to you."  
"I heard you," I snapped and instantly regretted my words but it was like my fight with Olivia. I couldn't control my own mouth. "I just don't care about a ditz like you."  
The class 'oh-ed' and Isaac shot me a look that told me I'd made a huge error of judgment. Lydia's face had diluted crimson. Normally she wasn't this bad; she either ignored me completely or made little remarks or insults. Something had changed in Lydia and I thought it was probably something to do with the embarrassment of spending two whole days running through the woods naked. She needed someone to take her anger out on.  
"You're in for it now, bitch," she whispered and booted my chair. It wasn't a hard kick but it was immensely irritating. I pondered whether or not to give her a little zap but then Isaac's voice filled my head.  
_Don't you dare, Anderson. _The voice sounded like it was right in my ear and I jolted slightly turning to Isaac. He lifted an eyebrow.  
_Isaac?_ I thought and waited for a reply.  
_Yeah?_  
I couldn't help looking at him as I responded.  
_How are we doing this right now?  
The Vet,_ he telepathically replied. _He did something.  
What?  
Made us bonded.  
Bonded?  
Yeah, he said we'd be able to sense each other's emotions and stuff._  
After a quick pause, I thought. _This. Is. So. Awesome.  
_Isaac physically smirked and rolled his eyes as something hard hit the back of my head and made it throb.  
"Shit," I whispered on the verge of tears. I turned on Lydia at the same time as Isaac and saw a stapler held in her perfectly manicured fingers. That. Bitch!  
"Hey, Lydia!" Isaac whispered at her furiously, holding his own head as if it was in pain. "Knock it the fuck off!" she only smiled at him. Then I realized he could physically feel whatever I was going through but on a milder scale. I flipped Lydia off before staring down at my notes and picking up my pen.  
_I really want to fry this bitch. Extra crispy.  
I know._ He replied and I knew how honest his statement was. Up until becoming a wolf, Isaac had been an outcast much like herself. We'd never been close in high school, talked to each other on Facebook once and a while and – other than my painfully embarrassing crush I had on him in freshman year – we were estranged. Isaac laughed out loud. _So you had a crush on me then?_  
I went very still – well, apart from Lydia kicking my seat and throwing bits of ripped off eraser at me - and felt the heat rising in my cheeks. _Maybe._  
I felt a strange probing feeling in my mind as memories were literally pulled out of my mind. Flashes of how I imagined Isaac when we'd not been friends. Brown curls and blue eyes fell beautifully in place against pale skin and then there was that body… Isaac's astral voice snapped me from my thoughts. _You filthy, filthy girl._  
I really did blush. Then I got an idea. I shut my eyes and blocked out everything, Lydia, the teacher's droning voice, everything.

I was standing in Isaac's kitchen. He looked younger here, fourteen, maybe fifteen. He was sat at his dining table across from a hard faced Mr. Lahey. They were both eating in silence and I moved in front of Isaac. I put a hand forward to touch his shoulder supportively but I fell right through him. Backing away, I quietly observed.  
"I was in the garage the other day and I saw that your bike's missing," Oh, that was right. I remembered the time I was walking down the street and Isaac front wheel caught the edge of the car. He'd been thrown off and the bike had been mangled beyond repair. I'd offered to call an ambulance but Isaac had angrily declined and dumped his bike in a dumpster.  
"It was stolen." Isaac said too quickly, I shut my eyes, my heart going out to him. His voice reeked with guiltiness.  
His dad didn't look up as he hacked at his broccoli. "You wouldn't be lying to me, would you Isaac?" Isaac went very still and incredibly quiet.  
"Say no, Isaac." I begged. "Say no, now."  
"No." his voice shook when he replied and I stomped my foot in frustration.  
"I'm not mad…" he said looking up with a 'smile' that seemed more like a snarling Rottweiler than a smile.  
"You're not," he replied relieved. I knew then he'd made a big mistake. He'd admitted lying and I could see the realization and the fear in his face.  
"But, I'm gunna have to punish you." His father moved so fast even I jumped back, heart pounding. Isaac toppled off his chair as a plate smashed against his face making me scream. Isaac cowered under the table. Mr. Lahey flipped the table and booted his son in the kidneys. So badly, I wanted to intervene to use my strength to give this guy a taste of his own medicine but I knew it would do no good. I dug my nails into my palm until blood trickled between my fingers. Lahey kicked his son over and over and what I realized was that when Isaac curled into a defensive position the kicking turned into stamping but when Isaac relaxed and let the blows come, he backed off. That evil son of a bitch. The attack only lasted seconds but it felt as if it had all been dragged out or happened in slow motion.  
"Please," Isaac begged as tears escaped my eyes. "Please, stop dad."  
"Are you giving me attitude?" he said grabbing his son by the shoulder, he pulled him to his feet and started yanking him in the direction of the stairs. The room filled with a suffocating kind of terror that made my eyes water.  
"No…" he breathed in a small voice. "No!"

I followed them, shaking with fury as he pulled his son into the cold, harshness of the basement. I knew what was going to happen next and despite every part of my body telling me to run or shield my eyes, I had to see this. Fumbling on the lock, Lahey opened the door of the claustrophobic darkness of the freezer and pushed his son in. Isaac grabbed at his father's shirt begging him not to do the unspeakably evil thing he was going to do.  
"Please!" Isaac said as tears formed in his eyes, his face was a picture of something beyond fear, beyond terror even. An instinctive human reaction to such a hostile environment. I wanted to help him but every time I reached out I fell through the image as if it wasn't real but I knew this was a very raw, very real memory. "I'll do anything you want!"  
Mr. Lahey laughed. _Laughed._ And shut the lid of the freezer on his screaming son before walking right through me and shutting of the basement light. I slumped against the freezer as I listened to Isaac crying, yelling and clawing at the freezer, horror etched deep into his voice.  
I sobbed as I listened to the desperate sounds and thought of all the times during summer vacation when I'd worked part time at my aunt's shop and sold him groceries. He'd _smiled_ at me and thanked me graciously only to go home and subject Isaac to torturous, agonizing, evil things like locking his own son in a freezer in pitch darkness.

"Freak!" somebody screamed at me and I jolted up right. I realized my eyes were red and puffy and all the class was staring at me. I glanced at Isaac who was white knuckling his desk.  
"Is something wrong, Miss Anderson?" a worried Calculus teacher asked.  
"No." I said through gritted teeth. "I'm fine."  
_I'm so sorry,_ I mentally told him but he didn't reply. Didn't even look at me for the rest of the lesson.  
When the bell finally rang, I jumped from my seat and rushed from the class, breathing with relief. I chased after Isaac calling his name. He pretended not to hear me until I was eventually close enough that he could no longer keep up the sheared.  
"I'm so sorry Isaac," I spat in a rush of words. "I didn't mean to do that. I had no clue what I was doing. I wouldn't go through personal things like that because they're personal and it would be wrong of me to purposefully go through people's memories. And it was wrong, and I'm really sorry, again, but I didn't mean to so please don't think I-"

My words were cut off in my throat when Isaac crashed his lips into mine. It was a deep, passionate kiss and I opened my mouth willingly when he pressured for entry. We just stood there, making out while other gawked at us in disbelief. I could see Lydia Martin's mouth as it hit the floor and I couldn't hide my smile as Isaac pulled me closer and caressed my hips.  
"Don't worry about it." He finally said, pulling away and leaving me stood like a moron. Isaac smirked at my expression.  
_There's plenty more where that came from. _and then he was gone.

Isaac P.O.V

I couldn't help the smile that played on my lips. I had needed that kiss after that horrific calculus class. I didn't want to think about it but it kept coming back to bite me. It hadn't been Lily's fault. It really hadn't. I shouldn't have been snooping in her memories just to get a blush off her.  
Someone grabbed me as I was thinking some very explicit thoughts about Lily before my sudden realization that she would be seeing every minute of it.  
_I'm officially scarred for life._ Her astral voice laughed into my ear as Erica tugged me in.  
"You've got stop seeing Lily." Was what she said as soon as I came clattering into the abandoned classroom.  
"What? Pfft, go away Erica." I said, trying to brush past her but she planted a clawed hand on my chest. I growled at her, menace and warning in my voice. "Erica…"  
"Derek knows what she is," Erica said quickly and I glared at her in disbelief. "He's going to kill her."  
"What?" I snapped at her, eyes burning. "When?"  
"Now." A familiar voice said before clubbing me over the back of the head. As I blacked out, I saw Boyd and Erica leaving the classroom. Then the world went dark.

Lily's P.O.V

It was finally the end of the school day and as I dumbed the books I didn't need back into my locker, I shut it with I triumphant clatter. To see Danny leaning against my locker. I gave him a small and curious smile.  
"Hey, Lily," he said, returning my smile. "So I'm throwing a party next week and wondered if you'd like to come."  
My mouth dropped to the ground. I, Lily Anderson, had been invited to the party. Was this a cruel joke? Would someone jump out, laughing and pointing? But no one laughed and no one pointed. Danny just grinned at my expression.  
"I'll take that as a yes, then?" he probed, I composed myself and answered.  
"Yes!" I replied a little too loudly, "I mean yeah, absolutely."  
Danny gave me a strange look. "Okay then," he said beginning to turn away. "I'll see you there. Tell Isaac he can come, too."  
"Thank you!" I practically shrieked as he disappeared round the corner with Jackson.  
I felt sky high. In just a matter of days I had gone from being completely invisible to getting invited to the parties of popular people. All because of Isaac. My smile faltered. The only reason I was popular is because I'd been seen kissing Isaac Lahey, therefore everyone assumed I was going out with him. My temper flared. I should have been happy that I'd been invited to a party but instead I was furious. What made me so special? People like Olivia and Delilah would be curled up at home next weekend, carrying on their lives as social outcasts and just because egotistical people thought I was going out with a popular/ex-outcast like Isaac Lahey, I deserved special treatment.

I burst from the school in a rage and sprinted to my bike before screaming. My baby's tires had been punctured and the chain was missing.  
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I yelled as Jackson got into his Porsche smirking. I thought about electrocuting his Kanima ass but in the end I reeled in my anger and with a sigh, unlocked my bike. It was a long walk back to my house.  
"Need a lift?" Erica asked pulling up along beside me despite the angry flare of horns it gave her. Something I couldn't explain made me uneasy about Erica. She was never this nice.  
"Nah. I'm good. Thanks, though." I began to wheel my bike away when someone's voice spat cruel words.  
"Get in the car." I turned to see Derek Hale standing behind me. I knew the rumors as well as anyone. About the fire that took his family and then being accused of murdering his own sister. I tried to back away but he grabbed my wrists pulling me close. His eyes glowed red as he spoke again. "What are you going to do? Electrocute me?"  
I cried out as white hot pain sliced through me. Someone had stabbed me. I turned my head slightly to see Erica. Blood trickled from my mouth. "Oh come on," he said and I was surprised to hear disappointment in his voice. "I doubt that even slightly hurt." Erica pulled the knife away and there was pain for a few seconds before it faded into nothing. I let in gasping breaths.  
"You see," he replied dragging me into the car. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out but a terrified squeak. I glimpsed Scott and Isaac running towards me, calling my name as the door shut with a small boom.


	10. 10: I Control You

**WARNING!~ SeXy StUfF oN tHe WaY!**

**Okay, so I'm back with my newest chapter and yes – Lily and Isaac do have {sex!} but it's only suggestive towards that but I don't know whether put in the s*x scene. It's not dirty or anything, it's very toned down but I'm afraid someone will report me so I dunno, review if you want the scene. **

#&$$#&*( &!^ %#(_ &(& )_) ** $!^$ "&

Isaac's P.O.V

I woke to the far off sound of someone calling my name. My stomach heaved as I stirred from a restless, involuntary sleep. I gawped into Scott's stunned face and grabbed his shirt front as I was pulled to my feet by Stiles.  
"Wvehem," I slurred as I held my injured head. The hit hard been harder then I'd thought and Scott and Stiles exchanged worried glances. "We have to- stop. Them." I finally spat through gritted teeth as pain erupted in my back. I almost fell with the white hot pain. "They're hurting her!"  
"Who?" Stiles asked dumbly and then realized turned to Scott and said. "Scott, we got to go, Derek's got Lily."  
"What?" said Scott, eyes growing wide and diluting amber with rage. "Where? When?"  
"Here and now!" As I got to my feet, the wind was trapped in my throat and I couldn't breathe well, it was uncomfortable but I knew that Lily was going through far worse.

I sprinted through the corridors disregarding students and teachers alike. _Help, Help, Help_ Lily's voice kept repeating over and over in my head. Tears filled my eyes and I blinked them away, angry at myself. She wouldn't die. I wouldn't let her die.  
_Hold on, Lily, hold on._

Scott ran beside me, barely keeping the pace. My moves were frantic, not planned like his, and I would trip and stumble over my own limbs just to propel myself forward. I finally smashed through the doors…

… Then I saw her. Red blood drooled from her rosy lips, the lips that I wanted to do so much with. Derek had his arm around her throat pulling us even further apart. Erica was behind the wheel and when her eyes met mine it was a mix on longing, envy and sympathy. Lily's arm reached out for me before the door closed over her.

I screamed. It was a deep, primal roar that I didn't think I'd ever be capable of. Rage. Not the rage used as a throw away word to describe anger but pure, enthralling fury unlike anything I've ever known.  
"Dude, we've got enough time to save her. the game's been moved to Sunday night." I barely even heard Stiles as he arrived, breathing heavily and clutching his chest as if he'd ran a marathon. I didn't even think, I just chased after the car as the others looked on in shock.

Lily's P.O.V

Fingers wrapped around my throat. At first the pressure was slight as I kicked and jolted but then the crushing power started to become suffocate. My legs flailed, connecting with the car door which shuddered under my blows. If only I could focus my strength into prizing the tight digits from my neck. As my eyelids began to flutter, I thought about all the people I'd leave behind. My aunt, the bubbly redhead who, although stubborn, cared for everyone no matter how much they betrayed her or hurt her; my dumbass cousin with a drinking problem could always get a smile even when I was close to tears; Olivia. Sweet but fierce Olivia with that brilliant smile… I might never get to say sorry; Delilah. Just Delilah, mysterious, sexy, edgy Delilah; my new friends, Stiles and Scott. And Isaac. Isaac's eyes almost as clear as glass and his curl but jagged hair that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be blonde or brown. It was always Isaac that would mean the most, I couldn't leave him, and he'd been through so much that it would be a cruel joke to rob him of somebody else he loved.

Tears form in my eyes. Crystals of sadness. Anger. Fear. I close my eyes, fading, fading…No. My eyelids snap open and I focus my energy into a bolt.

But it's not lightning that emerges.

An inferno engulfs the car. The fireball makes Erica lose focus and the car swerves. Derek Hale is covered in fire. The car collides with something and throws me forward. Something snaps. I don't feel it. I can't believe what I've just done. I cry out and the fires cease, dying away. Everyone accepts is unconscious. Someone appears at the window. Isaac.

Isaac rips the door off and pulls me into an embrace. I relax in his arms, inhaling his musk and all the comforting smells of animal and plant. I cup his face in my palms, looking into his unearthly eyes and caressing his cheek. A shiver runs through his body and I smile. Isaac pushes the black hair from my face and kisses my neck, in the sensitive part between my ear and jawline. I squirm away as he kisses it again and giggle when he doesn't let me escape. He doesn't want to let go of me and I don't want to let go of him for even a second.

Isaac kisses me and I teasingly use my lips lightly. He growls in frustration and deepens the kiss by pulling me closer by my belt loops. I gasp at the sudden movement and he purrs.  
_Asshole,_ I think because I'm enjoying the kiss too much to waste my breath.  
_Tease. _He replies.  
_This doesn't come for free. You're gunna have to work for it.  
Oh yeah?_

Isaac falls to the ground and takes me with him. Yet again, he's on top of me and I'm horrified. "Get off!" I moan, even though I don't want him to. I smash my palm against his chest but he only laughs, grabbing my wrists and forcing them above my head using only one hand.  
"That enough work for you, Anderson?" he says in a voice as thick as honey. His other hand caresses the rest of my body and it feels awkward and enjoyable at the same time.  
_Don't even think about it,_ my astral voice transmits, viewing the vivid, hormonal images in my mind. _I'll know._  
Isaac only laughs and kisses me again, a teasing brush of skin against skin and moves his mouth down, pecking my body until…

…. There's a moan from the car and we both freeze. Isaac drops my wrists and I spring into a crouch before standing. Isaac's nails extend, curving into sharp claws. I summon my lightning but I get fire instead.  
"What the hell?" Isaac says, looking down at my burning hands.  
"I don't know, so don't ask." I reply as Erica and Derek stumbles out the car. Derek is charred but healing as he approaches us.

"Stay back," Isaac growls as the pair come towards us. Derek roars, making Isaac fall back on me. He's trying to fight the call of the Alpha.  
"Why do you want me?" I scream, I'm so angry my veins are popping and I'm vibrating. "What did I ever do to you!"  
"Nothing," he replies, the calmness in his voice is shocking. "It's about how you can be manipulated. I can't risk that."  
"She won't," Isaac suddenly screeches, composing himself. "We're bonded. I control her now."  
"It's true Derek," a familiar voice supports. I look over Isaac's shoulder to see Erica as the owner of the voice. "I've seen it."  
"Prove it," Derek spits, he smiles as if already knowing we can't.  
_Stay still,_ Isaac commands. _It will only hurt for a minute._  
Isaac grabs my wrist using his werewolf speed. I frown and then hear an awful snapping sound, pain pulsates from my arm but I don't even flinch. Derek raises an eyebrow.

"I guess you do," he says and then he's gone, melting into the shadows as Scott and Stiles finally arrive.

Isaac's P.O.V

We both decided it would be best if we stayed together tonight. Derek hadn't sounded like he'd meant it when he'd left us. Somehow, Lily had convinced her aunt that she was staying at her friend Delilah's house and persuaded Delilah to keep up the lie. Not that her aunt had been prying, it was a busy night at the store and she probably wouldn't get in until the pre-morning hours anyway.  
"I can go on the couch," she pressured as we walked through the door into my darkened house. It wasn't a home, not really. It would never be the same without my dad and it held too many haunting memories to be a place of comfort. I didn't want Lily to stay in my dad's room. I hadn't been in there since his death and I wanted to put that off for as long as possible. I didn't want her on the couch either.  
"No. I'll go on the couch." She took my hand and gently squeezed it. I pulled her up against my body and she moaned as I kissed her neck. My lips brushed hers and my knees felt week as we moved against each other.

Somehow, our soft passionate making out turned into aggressive French kissing, taking turns pinning each other against walls and tumbling over furniture as we went. I let her lightly throw me onto my back on the couch, kissing me and tracing lines over my chest.  
"Isaac," she gasped as I caressed her hips, pulling her close. "I don't want you to sleep on the couch."  
_I don't want to sleep on the couch, either. _

I pulled my shirt off – well, I made a meal of it seeing as Lily couldn't bare to be separated from my lips for more than five seconds. I made to help her out of her clothes but she stiffened and I knew why. I used my wolf speed so that she was lying on her back. I leaned in close and felt her tremble beneath me. I pushed my lips to her ear.  
"You don't have to be afraid, Lily, we all have scars." She looked up at me, stroking my face. Then her hands moved to my back, where healed scratches and cuts etched deep into the firm skin. Lily stared at me with those big, brown kitten eyes and relaxed, pulling off her shirt. I pulled her close to me, supporting her with one hand and we just sat in our embrace for a while as she and I wriggled out of our jeans.

I swung her legs up like she was my new bride and carried her up the stairs and into my room. The door opened and I threw her onto the bed, growling with pleasure and slamming the door behind me. It didn't open for the rest of the night.


	11. 11: Let's Get This Party Started

Scott's P.O.V

It was around noon when the bell to the surgery rang. "Can you see who that is please, Scott?" I was moving towards the front when the dogs began going crazy. Barking and snarling sounded through the clinic and me and Dr. Deaton gave each other a weary look.

We both shuffled quietly to the reception to see, to our surprise, Isaac Lahey stood sheepishly on the other side of the Mountain Ash wood paneling. Dr. Deaton gave a small sigh.  
"It's okay Isaac," Dr. Deaton said, opening the small conjoining gate for him to slip through. "There's room. We're just giving some medicine to Buddy over here,"

Isaac's face scrunched up as soon as he entered the room. I knew he was hit by the same overwhelming smell that filled my nostrils daily. He approached the dog and the scent got worse, making my stomach heave slightly. It was a foul, rotting smell. It was the smell of death.  
"Why does it smell like that?" he asked, as he reached the dog and nearly gagged. I was used to it by now, Deaton had taught me how to shut it off but it had been almost unbearable when I'd be a newly made, inexperienced wolf. Me and Deaton exchanged a wistful laugh as the memory of when I'd asked a similar question came back.  
"What?" Isaac said, baffled slightly, looking from face to face.  
"Scott said almost the same thing to me a couple of months ago," the Vet replied and I nodded in agreement looking down at the weak, dying animal. "One day, somehow, he could just tell the difference between which animals were getting better and which….were not."

Isaac looked down at the dog and frowned solemnly "He's not getting better. Is he?" the Vet gave him a sad smile. "It's Cancer?"  
"Osteosarcoma," he replied, running a sympathetic hand through the dog's curly, luscious coat. "Gives off a very specific scent, doesn't it?" the question was designed for me and I only nodded my reply. I was a Vet's assistant but I hated it when animals died.  
Isaac had a sad but curious look on his face when Dr. Deaton said, "Come here."  
"I'm sure you're well aware of what your abilities can do for you. Improve strength, speed, healing; ever wonder what it could do for others?"  
Dr. Deaton looked straight at me and I knew what he was going to do next. He'd showed me only three months ago. It was a beautiful and terrible thing. "Give me your hand," hesitating slightly, Isaac wrapped his hand around the Vet's wrist. Dr. Deaton put his hand down, spreading the fingers across the dog's fur. The temperature in the room plummeted and the stench of decay died away as black liquid flowed from the dog and into Isaac pulsating through his veins, as he watched them, pulling his sleeve up to observe as the swelled before fading into nothing.  
"What did I do?" he said in shock and awe, tearing forming in his eyes.  
"You took his pain away," I replied with a slight smile creeping across my face. Isaac wasn't all bad. Not at all.  
"Just a little," the Vet warned, "But a little can mean a lot to the dying."  
Isaac smiled, speechless. It really was a moving experience, a deep connection I would never forget but I knew this wasn't the reason Isaac was here.

"I'll leave you two alone," Deaton said, picking Buddy up from the table and carrying him to the back room where they kept the kennels. Isaac waited until the Vet was out of earshot to respond. He paced until he was leaning against the veterinarian examining table that I'd almost broken my spine on in the fight the other day. Isaac ran a hand through his hair in a distracted way as I began to pack away the sedatives and other surgical tools.  
"They're leaving," he finally sighed as I closed the harsh metallic door. "Tomorrow night. During the game."  
"Why are you telling me?" I replied more than a little confused.  
"I'm not telling, I'm asking. For your advice."  
I frowned turning to him. This didn't sound like the Isaac I was used to. "Why?"  
He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Because I trust you."  
"Why?"  
"Because you always seem like you wanna do the right thing."  
I paused and half turned to him. "Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing….. Actually, I always have no idea what I'm doing."  
"You wanna tell me what you're doing now?" I already knew the answer before the question could be properly finished.  
"I'm not going anywhere if that's what you mean," I said, looking him straight in the eyes so he knew that this was a real and truthful answer. "I've got too many people that need me here."  
Isaac stared at the floor when he answered. "Well, I guess I'm lucky because I don't have anyone so…"  
I didn't really know how to respond so I just said. "You've got Lily."  
He stopped dead in his tracks like he hadn't thought about her. Isaac's body seemed to go tense at her name. "She's better off without me."  
"She loves you." Isaac didn't respond just began to sweep from the room. "Wait," I said, he turned to me. Isaac looked weary and exhausted, like he'd been up all night. A female scent clung to his body but I couldn't quite place it. "Are you going with them?"  
Isaac seemed to contemplate this for a while. "Yeah," he finally said. "Yeah, I think I will. Good luck with the game, though."  
I sighed; it was deep rattling sound that almost caused me pain. "Thanks, man but I'm not going either. I can't even think about playing some meaningless game right now."  
"You weren't at practice last week were you?"  
The question shocked me slightly, seeing as we'd gone from dramatic, to deep, to small talk all in just an hour. I looked up at him and frowned. "No, I wasn't, why?"  
It was Isaac's turn to frown. "You didn't hear?"  
I took an involuntary step forward. "Hear what?"  
"Jackson was there."

Yeah, you see, that was the slap in the face. I thought I'd have more time to figure all this out with the Kanima, and me and Allison, then all the crap with Lily but this….. this was just perfect. "That mean's… the game. Tomorrow. He's-"  
"Yeah," Isaac said, finishing my thoughts for me. "He's playing."

Lily's P.O.V

I had to leave early that morning. It was the party tonight and the big championship tomorrow which meant one hell of a lot of preparing. I tried to slither out of bed without making a sound but Isaac could sense a pin drop a mile away, so maybe he heard my internal restlessness. He pulled my au naturel body back into bed and I giggled as he traced the unique marks that covered my back. I sighed a relaxed against him. I could just lay in bed all day, wrapped in his embrace forever and just forget about the craziness of this entire new world I'd fallen into. This wasn't the only thing I'd fallen for. The allure of Isaac Lahey had proved even too much for me, the most benign girl in our entire school. I sighed and turned to face him. Even in the morning, with the dark circles under his oceanic eyes and bed hair he looked beautiful.  
"You know," I said, wriggling away from him. "At some point, I will have to get up and check my phone."  
It was true. When Isaac and I had been having a 'good' time last night my phone had been going crazy and I would probably be in deep shit seeing as I'd given a very lousy lie to my aunt. "No…." he moaned like a nine year old, putting a muscular arm around my chest lightly. "Do you have to?"  
"Afraid so." I replied, picking up a stray blanket from the corner as I moderately slipped out of bed. "Avert your eyes!" I snapped as he stared at my bare anatomy. He laughed and just kept looking, slipping out of bed himself and pulling on underwear.  
"I was just admiring," he replied innocently. Getting to his feet. I picked my stray underwear off the floor and failed trying to discretely put them on from underneath my blanket so I gave up. "You're the one how's flashing."  
"You're fault not mine." I said as I finished applying the bare minimum of clothing I could. Isaac crept up behind me and pulled me to my feet, locking his mouth on mine. When he finally pulled away my eyes were still closed.  
"Don't make me take all you're hard work off again, Anderson." I pushed him teasingly away and he growled, raising an eyebrow.  
"You wish," I replied, failing to keep the smile out of my voice as I picked up my blanket and padded downstairs in my socks. I found my t-shirt and jeans next to the couch and pulled them on too in a darkened corner of the room, far from the window and prying eyes.

"Lily Anderson," Isaac said, strutting into the living room behind me and caressing my hips. "Will you go out with me?"  
I paused and turned towards him, "Hmm…" I said trying to sound wistful as if I was contemplating saying no.  
"If you say no, I'll rip your throat out," he growled, kissing me again and pulling me close by my belt loops.  
"If you rip my throat out I'll tear your heart from your chest," I said, whispering the words directly into his ear. Isaac snarled at me but I only laughed at his display of the wolf. "Yes."

"Should we celebrate," he said teasingly at my consent. I wanted to. I wanted to so badly. But there was something creeping into my mind, something Isaac was hiding from me. I didn't push the subject because it was only a feeling but I did push him away.  
"Sorry," I replied, forcing my eyes not to narrow. "But it's a busy day. There's the party and the game and….I'm sorry. I'll see you at eight. Yeah?"  
He nodded and kissed me again. A slight brush of the lips that seemed almost disappointed but I knew I had to go. I removed my hand from my looped fingers and brushed past him. I opened the door and looked back giving a weak smile. Isaac didn't meet my eye.

Whilst on the way to the bus stop, I checked my phone surprisingly no calls from my aunt or Andrew but Delilah, Stiles and Michaela had all rung. Then I saw Olivia's number in my missed calls. I checked voice mail and listened to the recorded message.  
"Hey, Lily," she sounded as if she'd been crying. "I just wanted to say….I'm sorry. I should- have never accused you of sleeping with Isaac and I didn't mean those things I said. I hope we can, move past it."  
I had a twisting feeling of guilt creeping in the pit of my stomach. I hadn't been sleeping with Isaac then but I had just proved Olivia right. I texted her back on the bus.  
_ I'm so sry 2. Call me. _

Stiles's P.O.V

The party was big and brilliant as most of Danny's parties were. There were even some college kids; I realized looking around at the underage drinkers but that wasn't the biggest event of the party, no. Everybody in the room could not stop staring at the impossible couple. Lily and Isaac. Like me, they weren't exactly high in the social ladder but people were used to me by now. People weren't used to the newest couple.  
"What the holy hell are _they _doing here?" by Lydia's voice, I could tell she was fuming. When I turned to her, I rolled my eyes at the spazzing teen. She was having a mini freak out just because two slightly unpopular people had been invited to a party. Lydia had begun to gather her group of giggling girls, gesturing wildly in their direction and moaning.  
I thought they both looked hot – you know, hot together not hot as in I like them or anything… Lily was dressed in cute denim shorts with cowboy boots that showed off her powerful legs really well and a loose, bat-wing t-shirt with her black curls falling in bunches. She looked stunning and the two looked like they were having a pretty good time, swaying to the music. Compared to Lydia and Jackson they were saintly. It seemed the real Jackson had come back to play for a while and Lydia was dry humping him to the intimate music. I just stood there, sipping beer, alone as the horny couples around me swirled and danced to the music.  
"Hey dude," Scott said coming over to greet me. "We've got a problem."  
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Couldn't we have just one day off? Is that too much to ask? "What?"  
"Derek's here." Just as Scott had said it we both looked up to see Derek flanked by Boyd and Erica. They smirked and Derek looked in Lily's direction. A knife slipped from its hiding place.

Lily's P.O.V

It was just getting to my favorite song when we were interrupted. Scott pulled us apart and I looked to see Derek, Erica, Boyd and Stiles all stood there. Isaac growled at them.  
"Relax," he said angrily, "We're not here to kill your little witch. We're here to save Jackson."  
"How?" I asked, confused. "I thought you said he couldn't be saved…"  
"We thought he couldn't be saved," Stiles replied, turning to me. I didn't know much about the Kanima or anything that had happened before my meeting Isaac in the woods but I knew from experience that Jackson was incredibly dangerous. "But we can. _If_ we can get Lydia to help us."  
"Lydia Martin?" I laughed, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Cold-blooded Lydia is going to do something that will benefit someone else?"  
"She's not as bad as you think," Stiles replied, the slightest bit of tension in his voice.  
"You don't have Calculus with her." Isaac muttered but I didn't laugh. I hated how everyone thought Lydia was such a good person. Sure, she may put on the act for her friends but for her victims? Hell. But despite all Jackson's flaws and the fact he was a major league douche wad and would never thank me for this I was still going to help his reptilian ass. Then a thought crossed my mind, something no one had that everyone had over thought.  
"What if Jackson's not here alone? What if Gerard's with him?"  
A dry chuckle sounded nearby and everyone's heads sprang upwards. Gerard stood surrounded by dancers with a triumphant look on his face….

…. Then all hell broke loose.


	12. 12: Red, Death and Betrayal

Stiles's P.O.V

I saw everything in a vivid slash of colors and sounds. Screaming and yelling. Blood on the dancefloor. People running for their lives'. For the first time in a long time I felt insanely vulnerable. I didn't know why, maybe it was because I was surrounded by shape-shifters' and a witch who all had abilities they could use to defend themselves and naturally an inferior complex has begun. Or maybe it was because an evil old man was using a monster to cut through teenagers like butter. Either way, I hated the feeling.  
People were being thrown to the ground, dresses torn, outfits mangled in the carnage. I still couldn't see what was causing the carnage but what I could see was the wolves taking off – well, not all the wolves. Lily and Isaac were hand in hand, searching for the most probable target. Lydia. If Gerard knew she was the only one who could stop Jackson… she'd just taken the top spot of his hit list.  
"Lydia! Lydia!" I began shouting. Everyone else started calling her name, even Lily.  
Someone grabbed my ankle and I looked down to see the one and only Lydia Martin. Her torso was sliced open and bleeding badly all over the gorgeous white marble tiles.  
"Stiles," she whispered before blacking out. My eyes filled with tears.  
"Scott! I found her!" I bawled as I forced her into my arms.

Lily's P.O.V:

"Scott! I found her!" Stiles screamed as I made my way towards him getting jostled by the frantic crowd rushing to escape the Kanima that had descended upon them. "But she's in real bad shape, man."

The words were like a switch blade across my thoughts. I immediately knew what to do to help Lydia despite having no prior knowledge. I sprang forward, jumping into action and crouching beside her.  
A hesitant Stiles was keeping her clutched protectively to his chest. "I can help," I said, with conviction in my voice. "I know what to do now."  
Stiles frowned at me and I almost smacked him in frustration. Lydia was dying and if I didn't work fast we'd probably lose her. "Stiles!" I yelled, snapping him from whatever thoughts his brain was entangled in. "Please."  
Stiles lay her limp frame on the tiles as I instructed. I told the others to stop people from knocking me. This required lethal concentration. I shut my eyes and zoned out, blocking out my fears, doubts, envies, happiness, everything. There was no sound in this dreary darkness and it felt as if light might have very existed. I put my hand in Lydia's a willed her wound to heal. After a few breath-taking seconds of nothing, my hand began to get warmer until eventually it felt like it was burn. The sensation reminded me of the time when I'd been twelve and Andrew had dared me to do the salt and ice challenge, knowing full well of the pain he had been about to inflict on me. I still had that scar. I had way too many scars.

My eyes snapped open and I fought the urge to pull my scalded hand away. Before my eyes, Lydia's wound healed…. And appeared on me. I tore my palm away, leaving behind only a few scratches on Lydia's body.  
"Lily…" Isaac said hesitantly, "Lily!"  
Sweat drenched me and I was shaking. "I'm fine," I spat through gritted teeth; I hadn't even realized I'd collapsed against him and he had to support my weight. "It's healing." After a whole agonizing minute I was finally healed and good to go.

Then, I saw what all the commotion had been about and yelped. Someone lay slaughtered in the middle of the dancefloor. We didn't know who it was, well because… the head was missing. It was busy floating in the pool and staining the water scarlet. Danny lay near the body; he looked as if he was having a panic attack. This was going to be a nightmare for him but at least Danny wasn't the time to put up with too many gate crashers but Derek and the wolves had slipped through his weary eye so there had to be some people unaccounted for.  
"You should go," Scott said to the runaways. "If they find you here, you'll be the first people they blame." That was unbelievable true and despite Isaac wanting to stay, I pushed him away from me.  
"Go…" I said taking my hand from his which I'd subconsciously placed there. "We'll be fine. Go. Go!"  
Isaac kissed me one final time much to Derek's irritation. We both ignored him. This time, I was the first to pull away.  
"Go."

As Isaac and the others took off into the night to the faint sounds of police alarms in the distance, I made my way towards Danny whilst the others went to dump the booze.

Isaac's P.O.V:

I didn't want to leave her but I had no choice. Lily was right. I would be blamed unless I'd left her but guilt made my stomach heaved. Lily would now become one of the accused, suspected, when all she'd tried to do from the very start was help. It was funny how the world worked. While child abusers walked freely in America's streets, innocent teenage girls were accused of murder.

I told myself to get a grip of my anger. I thought it was mostly the full moon in two days' time that was making me this touchy but I could have been wrong. It had been a freak thing. A lunar cycle had been interrupted causing Blue Moon phenomenon that everyone was so fascinated about. To me it was just another burden I had to deal with. The Vet had theories, apparently having this many supernaturals in one place could cause temporal shifts in factors of the atmosphere like the Moon.

We ran. To our only safe haven: The Beacon Hills Rail Deport. Long since closed, no one ever ventured there after everyone was convinced it was haunted when local neighbors began reporting screaming in the night. Of course, none of them knew the truth but Derek encouraged the rumors, purposefully doing things that kept the legends going and discourage trespassers. I knew when we finally got there, there would be a big lecture or a beat-down by Derek but right then and there I didn't care.

Olivia's P.O.V:

I watched the freaks' as they ran to their hiding place. I felt so proud that I had been asked to discover the Pack's hiding place. Me. Not Chris or Alison or my father but me. It had been my idea to restart the friendship to get on Lily's good side. Gerard had called me a skilled hunter. I was elated.  
I called Gerard and relayed the address, smiling to myself. He thanked me and told me to show up tonight with my father for the briefing. Luckily, I had managed to wriggle my way out of meeting up with Lily tonight. I don't think I'd be able to stand the sympathizer without tearing her head off. She was so naïve. Lily just assumed those closest to her could be trusted because she herself was a kind and trusting person.

What a moron.

Lily's P.O.V:

The next few hours passed in a blur of police interviews and evidence. I'd spoken to Sherriff Stiliniski and had to think fast to come up with a dulled-down, human version of the truth. I'd told him that I'd been dancing with Isaac when I'd heard the scream. Me and Isaac had searched for a familiar face in the terrified crowd and come to find Stiles and an unconscious – uninjured – Lydia in his arms with Scott nearby. Once the crowd had dispersed, we'd seen the body and went to comfort Danny just as the police appeared. I skipped over the important details such as healing Lydia; Jackson being here and us dumping the liquor.  
Once Sherriff Stiliniski had finished he told me I could go home but not to leave town – like I was going to anyway – and Aunt Jennifer came to pick me up. She laid a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, honey," she said in a soothing voice as I leaned my head into her. Aunt Jen smelled of perfume and pastry. "I know you were really excited about this party. I'm sorry it was ruined."  
I didn't reply, I just closed my eyes trying to shut out all of the impossibilities of the evening. I still couldn't believe how much my life had changed in a matter of two days. It felt as though I was in a movie or a novel on fast-forward. I pulled myself away after Aunt Jen kissed me on the top of my head before telling me she had to drive away. I saw Stiles being dragged towards his dad's cop car and waved he gave me a weak smile while his dad scalded him. Someone hadn't asked permission.

When I got home I was so tired, I went right up to my room. Passing Andrew on the stairs was no easy task; he was firing questions at me as soon as my foot touched the wood of the bottom step after being informed by his girlfriend Lisa Curby.  
"I'm really tired, Drew," I said, cutting his firing squad short. "Can we talk about this later?"  
"Sure," he said frowning, probably at my haggard appearance. "Hey, cuz, are you okay?"  
"Not really." I replied, brushing past him. Mercifully, he cut himself short and continued downstairs, not pushing the issue. I kicked off my boots and collapsed on the bed. My hair and skin felt greasy and awful and my body ached. I'd never felt this…icky…before. Despite needing a shower, I couldn't will myself to the bathroom. After a few minutes of painful tiredness, sleep washed over me and I let it carry me off to Morpheus.

That night I dreamed of teenagers and werewolves and light tiles drenched in blood.


	13. 13: And Everybody Falls

Lily's P.O.V

I woke up screaming. I was drowning in sweat and for the first time in a long time the last thing I wanted to do was go back to bed. Maybe I had post-traumatic stress disorder or something. Deciding to give up on sleep, I slithered from between the covers and jumped in the shower.  
I sat at the bottom of the bathtub, allowing the almost scalding water to fall into my eyes and sting them. I wanted to wash away the night and as I sat in the cascading waterfall, dried blood became loose and washed away.

When I got out, the first thing I did was check my phone. Due to the tragic death of Freddy Read, tenth grader and lacrosse star, the game had been moved to Monday night to allow people to grieve. Isaac had texted me asking how I was but his text was riddled with errors which told me he was nervous. He had a right to be. I was nervous; I just had this overwhelming crushing terror that something bad was going to happen today, maybe tomorrow. Olivia had called and once I dried off , I caught her up on all the events and we'd talked for what seemed like hours.

The best thing about the weekends was normally; no school. No bullies. No one walking in on you because you're invisible but today the only thing I longed to do was go back to school were it was safe.

Stiles's P.O.V:

**Monday Morning.**

It was attempt number two of my counseling session. I hadn't shown up the first time because I thought I hadn't needed to. Obviously, my dad had found out and threatened to sell off my Jeep if I didn't go. So here I was, sat in the guidance councilor's office with a shrink.  
"Hello, Stiles," Mrs. Morrell purred, reclining in her chair. "How are you feeling?"  
"Good," I lied. I was far from anything resembling good. "All things considered, I mean."  
"Stiles," she began, "You don't have to-"  
I was toying with the head of my lacrosse stick, pulling at the stiching, when I spoke words I thought I'd never say to anyone else. "You know when you're drowning; you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out; the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's actually kind of peaceful."  
Mrs. Morrell sighed softly and sat a little straighter. "Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?"  
"I don't feel sorry for him."  
"Can you feel sorry for the nine year old Matt who drowned?"  
I looked right at her when I answered, anger welling inside me. "Just 'cause a bunch of dumbasses dragged him off into a pool and he couldn't swim, doesn't give him the right to go off killing them one by one. Oh, and by the way, my dad told me that they found a bunch of pictures on his computer of Alison but not just of her, he'd photoshopped himself into these pictures, like of these holding hands and kissing, like he had built this whole fake relationship." My voice sounded sickeningly bitter but it was the truth.  
She spoke softly. "One positive thing came out of this though, right?"  
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so but it's not the same. It's just like tension when we talk, you know, same thing with Scott."  
Mrs. Morrell linked her fingers and rested her chin on her hands, leaning forward. I admired how remarkably calm she seemed. The councilor was very mysterious indeed. "Have you talked to him since that night?"  
"Not really but he's got his own problems to deal with. I don't think he's spoken to Alison either but I think that might be more her choice. Her mom dying hit her pretty hard, but it brought her and her dad together."  
"What about your other friend, Jackson?" at Jackson's name my tone audibly shifted.  
"Jackson? Jackson hasn't really been himself lately. Actually the funny this is as of right now Lydia is the one who seems the most normal and then there's Lily, it just seems no one really knows what's going on with her right now. One minute she's happy and then the next she's so full of anger she's red in the face." I was tugging on the shaft of my lacrosse stick while I spoke, remembering the night Matt had hit my dad over the head while just lay there and could do nothing. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.  
"What about you Stiles? Feeling some…anxiety about the championship game tomorrow night?"  
"Why would you ask me that?" I stared down at the net and realized I was chewing on the disgusting material. "Oh, uh, no, I never actually play but who knows with two of my team mates dead and another missing who knows, right?"  
"You mean Isaac. One of the three runaways," she replied, looking away wistfully. "You haven't…heard from any of them have you?"  
I paused at the question not sure how to react, then I looked round and frowned. Something didn't add up in my mind. "How come you're not taking any notes on this?"  
Her expression faltered. "I- I do my notes after the session."  
"How about we get back to you? Stiles?"  
I sighed. "I'm fine. Yeah, aside from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant, overwhelming crushing fear that something terrible is about to happen."  
"It's called hypervigilance," she explained, using hand gestures "The persistent feeling of being under threat."  
"But it's not just a feeling, though. It's… it's like it's a panic attack. You know, like I can't even breathe… like…" my voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.  
Mrs. Morrell finished my thoughts. "Like you're drowning?"  
"Yeah." I said, nodding.  
She sat up straight in her chair for the first time and leaned in closer. I hated how her expression was unreadable. "So, if you're drowning and you're trying to keep your mouth closed until that… Very. Last. Moment. What if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?"  
I frowned, playing with my lacrosse shaft again. "Well, you do anyway, it's a reflex."  
"But." She said more forcefully. "if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time, right?"  
"Not much time." I responded honestly.  
"But more time to fight your way to the surface?"  
I replied only to try to cut her short. "I guess." This, of course, failed.  
"More time to be rescued?"  
"More time to be in agonizing pain. Did you forget about the part where you feel like your head's exploding?"  
"If it's about survival," she replied, sounding like a great military leader "isn't a little agony worth it?"  
I slumped in my chair, my argument laying in taters around me. I closed my eyes and pushed down on them with my fingers as if wishing them to explode so I wouldn't have to see anything impossible ever again. "And what if it just gets worse? What if it's agony now and then… and it's just hell later on?"  
The Councilor seemed to contemplate this more some time. "Then think about something Winston Churchill once said. 'If you're going through hell, keep going.'"

Stiles's P.O.V:

**A few hours later…**  


It was the day of the big championship lacrosse game, the one that had been set back so many times and I was sat on a bench near Stiles. The whole team had gathered around our Coach to indulge him of the pleasure he was allowed every year to recite the speech from his favorite movie, _Independence Day. _  
"In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind," he began, complete with his fake microphone. "'Mankind.' That word should have new meaning for all of us today."  
"What the hell is he doing?" I turned at the voice and for some reason saw Mrs. McCall stood in the middle of a boys' locker room.  
"He does this every year. It's his speech from _Independence Day_. It's Coach's favorite movie."  
"…the day the world declared in one voice: 'We will not go quietly into the night!' Today, we celebrate our independence day!" the crowd cheered wildly, hollering and whooping as the Coach bowed before Gerard emerged from somewhere behind him.  
"Well spoken, Coach," he said, furtively moving him out the way so all the attention was on himself. "I might have chosen something with a little more historical value but there's no denying your passion and while I haven't been here long there's no doubting my pride in having a winning time in this school. I know you'll all be brilliant tonight even with only one co-captain leading you. Now, I am your principle but I'm also a fan so don't think I'll be content to watch you merely beat this team. Get out there and murder them." To everyone else it was a play on words and inspired school spirit but for me, Scott and Mrs. McCall, we were all not that stupid enough not to recognize the threat especially as he looked at each of us while he said it.  
"You heard the man!" Coach Finstock yelled, "Asses on the field!"  
I saw Scott running up to Coach, clearly furious as I was herded onto the lacrosse field.

Scott's P.O.V:

Stiles had just rushed off to go play Lacrosse with the team – clearly nervous – whilst his dad loudly declared to his block of the bleachers that his son was on the field when Gerard's voice sounded in my ear.  
"Scott? Can you hear me?" the person questioned and then, after reading my expression, said. "You can, good. Then listen closely because the game is about to get interesting."

Erica's P.O.V:

Dune buggies rumbled over the midnight terrain of the forest. The hunters paused for a while whilst we squatted behind a tree.  
"Play it again," Chris instructed Alison. Howls sounded through the woods. I felt so stupid for falling into such an amateur trap. I looped my fingers through Boyd's as they rattled away into the night. I knew it wouldn't be long. They're spies would be everywhere and meeting them in a confrontation tonight would be inevitable.  
"You only live once, right?" Boyd said, trying to soothe me but the words brought no comfort.

Tonight I was sure I was going to die.

Scott's P.O.V:

"Let's put a real clock on this game, Scott," Gerard said, toying with his small medicinal container. "I'll give you to the last thirty seconds of the game and if, by then, you haven't delivered me Derek then Jackson if gunna kill someone."  
I was suddenly snapped out of my mutinous thoughts by the harsh edge in his voice when he spat the words. "So tell me, Scott, who's gunna die tonight? Should it be your mother, who so bravely came out to support you or maybe the Sherriff, your best friend's father? Should it be that intelligent, powerful yet naïve young witch, who, even now, only cares about what's going to happen to you, her friends and Isaac Lahey or how about the pretty little redhead who managed to survive the bite of an Alpha? Or maybe one of these innocent teenagers with their whole life ahead of them? Or should I do everyone a favor and kill that ridiculous coach? It's up to you Scott but you are going to help me. Take. Derek. Down. Because if you don't, I'll have Jackson rip somebody's head off right in the middle of the field and drench everyone you love and care about in blood."  
The whistle blew, announcing the beginning of the match and my ear drums practically exploded.

Lily's P.O.V 

Never in a million years did I except to find myself at a Lacrosse game sitting next to Lydia Martin. For one, my brother sucked and was always on the bench, for two, I _hated_ Lydia. Although, right now, I was seeing a side of her I thought would never be possible. Lydia was actually being nice to me, actually acting like a proper human being. Beside me was Olivia and beside her was Aunt Jen.  
"I'm sure he's just warming up," Lydia commented as Stiles was tackled to the ground yet again. Meanwhile, Andrew scored a goal. I mean scored an actual goal!  
The six of us jumped from our seats, cheering like mad people and jumping up and down like giant, demented bunnies. Andrew winked at me and I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.  
Then I saw Gerard. He smiled a sadistic grin at me.  
"Hello, Lily," he said, I could only hear him because of my new, enhanced senses. "Are you ready for the real game to start?"

Scott's P.O.V:

I shot up as another member was brutally smacked into the ground. Someone grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back into my seat. "Sit down, McCall!" Coach Finstock snarled.  
"But Coach!" I spluttered. "We're dying out there!"  
"Oh, I'm aware of that," Coach replied, staring out solemnly across the pitch. "Now sit."  
Somebody appeared beside me just as I hung my head and Coach disappeared. I didn't even need to look up, I'd already sensed who it was. "You came to help?"  
He tilted his head with a boyish smile. "I came to win."

Lily's P.O.V:

When I was sitting back down on the cool metal of the bleachers after another round of hectic cheering, Isaac's voice sounded in my head.  
_Lily,___the voice in my head whispered. I erected immediately searching for the source. _Don't! …don't make it look obvious. We're on the stand-in bench. Come met us but be careful, Gerard is watching. _I glanced at Gerard who was glaring at Scott and Isaac with what I assumed was contempt. I rolled my eyes and got up carefully making my way towards them.  
"Yeah?" I said as I reached them, tugging on my scarf to make me warmer.  
"We need you to distract the coach whilst Isaac takes the players' out the game." Scott, explained gesturing to the bench full of substitutes.  
"Why?" I frowned suspiciously. "This is something more than a Lacrosse game, isn't it? That's what Gerard said-"  
"Wait, Gerard spoke to you?" Isaac said, worrying threatening to mask that beautiful face.  
"Not exactly," I said honestly. "He just told me that the real game is about to start…." I suddenly had a grim idea of what he meant by that. "And I think I know what 'the real game' is."  
Scott and Isaac exchanged a look as if they knew, too, and we all said together. "Chess."

Erica's P.O.V:

"Come on!" I screamed at my slower Pack mate, Boyd, "Run!" The Hunters had found us and they were hot on our tails, the dune buggies announcing themselves as they tore through the barren landscape.

The buggies engines rattled to a stop as we approached a clearing. For a while, I thought we were going to make it. Then I heard as an arrow soared through the air and connected with my leg.

The arrow clung to my thigh and my knees buckled, as scalding pain burst through my body. Boyd ran back for me but I screeched at his stupidity "No! Go…Go!" he looked at me one last time and I nodded solemnly before he took off.

Alison strutted from the forest, raising her bow. I looked at the arrow as it came directly at my head.

Isaac's P.O.V:

"You got a plan yet?" Lily asked. Looking at both of us but mainly Scott. Scott was always the one who had the plan.  
"Nope," he admitted, glancing around the bleachers nervously. "Right now…It's pretty much just keep Jackson from killing people."  
"Well, that might be easier if you're actually in the game," I replied, pulling on my gloves and generally straightening my uniform.  
"We'll have to make it so Coach had no choice but to play you," Lily chimed, trying not to keep looking back at her aunt. Even from here I could feel the weight of her glare pressing down on the three of us. She was suspicious, but controlled.  
"Well, how are we gunna do that? Coach has a bunch of guys he could play before me," Realization hit him as he looked back at me. I gave a knowing look. "Can you do it without putting anyone in the hospital?"  
"I can try," I said pulling on my Lacrosse helmet. "But I'll need someone to distract coach…"  
Before the words even left my mouth, I could see who Scott was thinking about. "No. I am not putting her in danger-"  
"Isaac," Lily said, cutting me off. She looked immensely frustrated at being mollycoddled but I didn't care, I'd rather have her sat sulking on the bleachers than in a coffin. "I know about this world now. I'm a part of it, too. That makes me responsible. So, if anyone here dies tonight I'll have the blood on my hands as much as you will and I won't be able to live with myself if…." She bit her lip and trailed off, glancing up to the bleachers where five people I recognized were cheering and laughing, oblivious to the danger. Lily then looked out across the Lacrosse game and her eyes darted to her cousin and Stiles.  
"Can you distract him or not?" Scott said a little more forcefully than his usual tone.  
"Yes," Lily replied with furious conviction. "Just… give me a minute."

Lily's P.O.V

I approached the Coach, once he'd just finished a conversation with a fan. "Hey, Mr. Finstock. I was wondering if I could ask you a question-"  
"Can it wait, Lily? This is a big game."  
Just as he turned round, Isaac smashed into a player. "Lahey!" he warned as the boy limped off the field. "Ramirez. You're in."  
_What are you doing?_ Isaac's astral voice fumed _I thought you were supposed to be distracting him.  
I'm trying! _I responded, a little ticked off at his tone. _Give me some credit, 'k?_  
"Now." I said, a little too quickly. "I mean, now, would be better."  
He sighed, closing his eyes in exasperation and I thought the urge not to smack him for the gesture but it did give me time to think fast. "Okay," he finally said. "What do you want to know?"  
"Umm…" I said, heart pounding and forcing myself to speak. "Why is inflation an economic problem?"  
"Well," he began, thoughtfully. "Initiation if fairly common throughout most of the world, it's a problem because…"  
His voice trailed off as I looked over his shoulder, worried for Isaac. I tried to convince myself I was being an idiot. Isaac could take care of himself but it did nothing to quell my nerves. I nodded politely and waited patiently as he called Murphy in.  
Once the team was down to the bare minimum players, I thanked him and left as Isaac took down another boy.  
"Lahey! What the hell is you're problem?" I heard the Coach scream as I walked up the steps towards the bleachers….

….. then I fell as searing pain coursed through my leg. I turned instinctively to Isaac to see he was paralyzed on the field, as Olivia came rushing over.

Erica's P.O.V

I ripped the arrow from my leg and tried to show as much bravado as possible even though it would do no good. The first arrow had missed. The second one would be accurate. As Alison shot at me, I knew my fate and shut my eyes against the inevitable….

…..but the arrow never came. I glanced fretfully up to see Boyd standing over me, growling. Alison didn't even hesitate as Boyd began to walk towards her. she began firing arrows in rapid succession, taking out her pent up grief out of others. Alison wasn't really aiming anywhere particular, just firing.  
"Stop!" I begged, tears filling my eyes. "Please Alison stop!"

Just as she was about to put one in his head, her dad fired his gun. The bullet skimmed the edge of her bow, knocking it out of her grasp. Chris Argent then aimed the gun at Boyd. Despite trying to stand he collapsed against the soil, unconscious.

Immensely tired and defeated, I joined him on the dirt.

Stiles's P.O.V

I was just about to score when the player came right at me. I bounced off the troll and landed with a suffocated 'thwack' against the ground.

Scott's P.O.V:

I continued playing, despite all my instincts telling me to go to Isaac. I convinced myself as long as I could see Gerard, he was fine and I could see Ger-

Somebody the size of a steam train knocked into me and I fell to the ground.

Blearily I got to my feet… but I couldn't see Gerard. "Don't you know what the real bargain is Scott? It's Alison. It's always been Alison. You give me Derek and I'll let you have Alison."

I got to my feet rapidly and ran in the direction where they'd taken Isaac.

Lily's P.O.V

Olivia helped me limp into the school and I collapsed against a stretch of wall near the boys' changing room. I was panting but whatever it was in my blood stream was quickly fading. When I could finally stand without assistance I told Olivia I needed so alone time but she wouldn't budge.  
"Please, Olivia, I need to be alone right now…"  
"Well, guess what? I'm staying." She said placing her hands on her hips. This was weird behavior even for Olivia. I turned away from her slightly and she sighed. "You act as if we're not even friends anymore…" she whispered into the silence.  
When I answered, I kept my back firmly to her "It's not that you're not my best friend anymore it's just… I don't-"  
"You don't trust me anymore." She said it with so much scorn I thought her words had been a knife in my back.  
"I'm sorry-" I began but was cut off by her. something that would cause me to live to regret our friendship.  
"Oh don't apologize," she said in a cool, excited manner. "You're right. You can't trust me."

That's when I felt something stab into my neck. I fell onto the floor. I couldn't move. I couldn't even speak. But I could see, I could see that Gerard was waltzing towards Olivia and wrapping her in an embrace. Three men flanked him and one of them, bent down to pick me up.  
"She's paralyzed," Olivia said, smiling that evil, sadistic smile. "She'll be no trouble."  
"Very good, Olivia," he said with immense pride. "How would you like to come and help me take care of Mr. Lahey."

_Run, Isaac. _I telepathically said to him, praying he'd hear. _They're coming for you._


	14. 14: The Kissing, The Missing, The Dead

Isaac's P.O.V

_Run, Isaac,_ Lily astral voice slurred which distressed me. _They're coming for you.  
_ But I couldn't run, of course because I had snake venom pumping through my legs and stopping me from moving them. I didn't care about that though; the way Lily's voice – even her unspoken voice – had slurred over the words, freaking me out and sending me into intense worry. As I lay helplessly, my bench was kicked over sending me crashing to the floor. I didn't even think. I crawled along the floor, dragging my legs with all my strength.  
"It was good effort, Isaac, it was, this would be so much more poetic if it was half-time." I ignored his threats and kept going. I could hear the blade being dragged across the floor, same way the serial killer did in Friday the 13th. My arms reached out for the skin, the fingers barely catching the side. The venom was almost gone now, meaning I could get to my feet, if not with a slight wobble to my knees.  
I heaved to my feet only to see an ancient sword held in aged hands. Gerard lifted the blade as I spun but all I gave him was a sly smile. He glanced into the grimy mirror and saw what I was seeing behind him.

Scott's P.O.V

I smashed Gerard's goons into the walls and the crumbled instantly against the harsh, hurtful surfaces. I went to redirect my attention to Gerard but he was nowhere to be seen.  
"Where is he?" I asked Isaac but he only gave me a grimace in return.

Stiles's P.O.V

I chucked the ball into the goal as the one minute mark ticked by, we were now one shot ahead of the other team and I was elated. As my team mates surged to congratulate me, I saw Lydia stood in the stands with my dad, Mrs. McCall and Miss. Chester cheering wily but only Lydia caught my full attention. She was clapping with a truly happy smile and beamed with pride.

I could do nothing but stare.

Lily's P.O.V

Whatever Olivia had given me was strong but the more I fought against it the more it weakened. The person carrying me stank of beer and TV meals, the pot belly I was resting on also told me of a bad diet. Finally, I could see clearly and move my body. I was being carried behind the bleachers whilst celebrations rang out. I knew I couldn't let them take me. In fairy tales, the princesses could afford to why in their glass coffins and wait for the hero to arrive but in the real world, they had to jump up and do the rescuing themselves. I snapped my fingers and flame mixed with electricity and crackled into life, I tried to send out a stun but it ended up being a painful – but non-lethal – bolt of dangerous substances that engulfed the guy and sent him yelping to the floor unconscious.

I ran forward rushing from behind the bleachers just as the world went dark. A single feminine scream was heard just before the pitch descended into chaos and the lights shone out. The crowd began jostling me and I was momentarily transported into the memory of the night of the party. The frantic party-goers. The Kanima. The head floating in the scarlet pool.

Once the crowd cleared I saw someone lying on the field in a lacrosse jersey. My hand went to my mouth as my mind reeled with the possibilities. I gagged. Scott and his mom where running towards whoever was down but as my eyes adjusted to the dim light I caught a glimpse of a shock of blonde hair.

I felt nothing as my legs hit the freezing dirt. It couldn't be. It just _couldn't_ be. I would have felt it if it was.  
_Isaac._ Silence filled my mind and tears escaped my eyes. Someone planted a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Andrew helping me to my feet. I hugged him which was difficult because of all the extra padding but his spiky brown hair and olive skin was incredibly comforting. I kissed my cousin on the cheek.  
"Are you okay?" I whispered into his ear. He nodded. His embrace seemed almost desperate. "What's wrong?"  
"They've got Jen. They've got mom."

Scott's P.O.V

I was looking down in shock at Jackson's body. This was definitely not what I had been expecting. Isaac appeared beside me, he was glancing around, probably scanning the crowds for Lily.  
"Move! Get out of the way!" Coach screamed at the surrounding kids. Lydia came over in a frantic state.  
"Jackson? What's happening? Jackson!" she yelled at the people around her my mom bent down next to him as Coach Finstock called for a medic.  
"He's not breathing, no pulse," my mom said as she began to administer CPR to Jackson's still corpse. "Get down her," she said, turning to Lydia who looked dazed and confused. "Get down here and hold his head tilted up!"  
Lydia obeyed, probably more out of fear and instinct than anything else. Lily and her cousin fell from the crowd moments later.

Isaac's P.O.V

Her eyes lifted to mine and I saw the relief that flickered over her face. Lily ran at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close. I closed my eyes and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. I wish I could tell her everything was going to be alright. I wish I could say that there was nothing to worry about. But I couldn't lie to her. She deserved more than that.  
"Thank god," she whispered, pulling away. "Next time I say your name or even think it, you respond straight away, okay? I don't care whether you're fighting, thinking or dying you reply because I can't go on without knowing yo-"  
I pressed my lips into hers. It was a brief kiss, the only one we had time for. She gave me a hard look when I pulled away. "Don't think that'll work every time, Lahey."  
"It shut you up didn't it?" I responded but my focus was on the person standing behind Lily. The person who stood with his mouth hanging open in shock and horror. Lily gave me a puzzled look as she turned to her cousin.  
Andrew put his hands up in the air defensively. "Hey, I'm not judging."

"Guys, look." Scott said a moment later, indicating to Jackson's hand. His fingers nails were coated in thick red crimson. Blood. _His_ blood.  
"He did it to himself?" Lily queried, more than a little confused. This whole night had just been one large jumble of strange – and scary – events.

Out the corner of my eye, I could see Sherriff Stiliniski swishing his head wildly out the corner of my eyes. "Where's Stiles?" he was whispering and I heaved a sigh at yet another problem that we would have to solve but I was more than a little worried about Stiles's safety.  
"Where's Stiles? Where's Stiles! Where the hell is my son!"


	15. 15: Crossing the Line

Scott's P.O.V:

"I'm going to meet with the medical examiner and try to find out what happened with Jackson," Sherriff Stiliniski explained to me, Isaac, Andrew and Lily. "I've put an APB out on Stiles. His Jeeps still in the parking lot which means…. Hell, I don't know what that means…umm… look if he answers his phone, or his emails or if any of you see him…"  
"We'll call you," Lily comforted and the Sherriff nodded in reply. Andrew was still stood there reasonably confused. Lily had tried to give him a diluted version as to why his mom had been taken by Gerard. Too many people knew about the crazy, supernatural stuff going on in Beacon Hills that adding a few more would be a little too precarious.  
"Look," I said in an attempt to quell the worried father. "He's probably just freaked out from all the attention. We'll find him."  
"Yeah," the Sherriff finally agreed, nodding his head a little too sadly. "I'll- I'll see you." Once the Sherriff had left, Andrew took off after him so he could ask about his mom. We'd finally been given a chance to talk alone.  
"So what's your plan?" asked Lily, stuffing her apparently cold hands into her pockets. She was still a little shaken from her almost abduction but when Isaac had gone to check out where she'd left the deep fried guy, he'd already left.  
"…To find Stiles." I said, that was currently the only thing I could think about doing right now.  
"McCall," a familiar voice said. I turned to see Coach Finstock striding towards us. "We need you on the field. You know I can't play you next season unless you get you're grades up."  
"I will Coach," I replied in a distracted way.  
"Look, I- I know I yell a lot but it's not like I hate you guys. Well, I kinda hate Greenberg but that's different because it's Greenberg," he laughed in a playful tone but I knew he meant what he was saying. "I'm just saying we- I need you on the team. "Get your grades back up."  
"I will," I said with conviction. It felt like I'd let down way too many people this year.  
"I know," he replied as he strolled away, probably to give a statement or maybe just go home after a tiring day. But we still had problems to deal with. Another sleepless night.  
"Is that everyone?" I asked, not caring if it was. I grabbed the handle of Stiles locker and wrenched it free with a squeal of tortured metal as Isaac replied.  
"I think so…" Isaac spun to stare at the locker's door. "You're going to find him by scent?"  
"Yeah," I said, "We both are. Lily," I turned to the girl and realization flicked over her face. "Maybe you should-"  
"Uh-uh." She said cutting me short and putting her hands on her hips. "You guys are not benching me."  
Isaac gave her a frown. "We're not 'benching you' we just don't want you getting hurt,"  
"I'm going." She said, turning away from him.  
"Uh, no, you're not." He replied taking her arm "You going home and locking the doors and not coming out to I ring. Understand?"  
"_No,_" she said back at him her eyes widening at his protectiveness. I shuffled awkwardly on my feet. We were wasting time and we needed to get going soon. "I'm going," Lily went over to Stiles locker and began rooting through his stuff, probably trying to find clues, or maybe just trying to ignore Isaac.  
"You're really annoying you know that!" he snapped at her, flinging up his arms in exasperation.  
"And you're a homicidal _and_ suicidal wolf man and surprisingly sexist…" was the insult she flung over her shoulder. I gave an amused snort and they both glared at me.  
"So sexism is protecting the people I love!" he snapped, his face flushing red all the way to his caramel-colored hairline.  
Lily turned to him and frowned. "I love you too," she added, "But I'm still going."  
"What the f-!"  
"Here!" I said, forcing Stiles shoe into Isaac's hand before he could begin yelling obscenities.  
"How come you get his shirt and I get his shoe?" Isaac remarked but I was too distracted by the person standing in front of our trio. I tapped Isaac on the shoulder and he turned which caused Lily to swish her head.  
"We need to talk," Derek said. I hated the way he could always just melt from the shadows as if he belonged to them.  
But it was the second person who appeared from a row of lockers that caught my real attention "All of us." He said. And that he was the psychotic – and dead – Peter Hale.  
"Ho-ly. Shit." I responded as Isaac snarled.

Stiles's P.O.V:

"Shh!" I warned Erica as she mumbled something at me from behind her restraints. I moved to take of the cable wiring but as soon as my fingers connected with it, a jolt of electricity jarred my finger. I pulled it away and waved the digit in the air.  
"They were trying to warn you it's electrified." The evil Grandpa Argent said padding down the stairs in his cocktail suit and suede shoes.  
"What are you doing with them?" I replied and I hated the way my voice shook when I spoke. I also hated how inferior I felt in my lacrosse jersey compared to his antique outfit. Anyone else would have suspected him to pull out a cigar by now but I knew he was more likely to pull out a switch blade.  
"Right now? Keeping them… _comfortable._ There's no point in torturing them, they won't give Derek up. The instinct to protect their Alpha is too strong." Gerard said with a certain edge to his voice.  
"Okay," I replied, trying to difuse the tension and give a threat at the same time. "So what are you doing with me? Because Scott can find me, alright, he knows my scent. He could find me even at the bottom of a tar pit covered in urine and fecal matter and-"  
Gerard took a few threatening steps forward. "You've got a knack for painting a vivid picture Mr. Stiliniski so let me try. Scott finds his best friend bloody and beaten to a pulp how does that sound?"  
Not good. Not good _at all._ "I think I prefer more of a still life for landscaping, you know?" I get a sudden flash of anger at the way his jaw is set. "What are you? 90? I could probably kick your ass up and down this roo-" I can never really remember what happens next. It all goes by in such a blur that I know I was standing up, the next thing, I'm on the floor and Grandpa Argent is beating the crap out of me. I can't remember the details. Only the harsh scraping sounds as wrinkly hands connect with the skin of my face. Then the pain, the overwhelming flush as if someone's hit me with a sledgehammer. I remember muttering something… something like 'Wait'. That was me. Always trying to reason even though it got me nowhere.

The world went dark as Gerard dropped me. Smirking.

Lily's P.O.V:

"What the hell is this?" Scott asked genuinely confused at Derek and the older man.  
"You know," Derek replied, shaking his head as if Scott had been a major disappointment. "I thought exactly the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the Sherriff's station-"  
"Woah! Hold on, he threatened to kill my mom and I had to get close to him so what was I supposed to do?"  
"I have to go with Scott on this one," the man in the long black trench coat said. I saw Isaac raise a visible eyebrow. "Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous."  
"Shut up!" Derek and Scott both growled in unison. I stifled a laugh as the man rolled his eyes.  
"Who is he?" I asked no one in particular. Apparently everyone else knew this guy.  
"That's Peter. Derek's uncle," Scott explained, "A little while back he tried to kill us all so we set him on fire and then Derek slashed his throat."  
"Hi." Peter said, putting up his hand in recognition.  
Jeez. "Good to know."  
"And you're Liliana or Lily – as your friends call you – Anderson. A pleasure, I'm sure… normally I would say it was bad luck for a human to be in the wolves' den but you're not completely human, are you?"  
"Nope," I responded coolly, "Would you like me to give you a demonstration?"  
"Maybe some other time, Sweetie."  
Scott groaned in frustration. "How is he alive?"  
"Look," Derek said, about annoyed as Scott was. "Short version is he knows how to stop Jackson. Maybe how to save him."  
"Well that's very helpful except Jackson's dead." Isaac said, speaking up for the first time. I'd noticed that about Isaac that he wasn't very communicative. Maybe it had something to do with his past.  
Guess who just became useless. Peter and Derek both looked sincerely shocked. "What?"  
"It just happened outside," I told them, "On the field."  
Derek and Peter exchanged a meaningful look with one another. Then Isaac asked the question I'd been wondering about. "Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?"  
"Because," Peter said, sounding as if it was the most absurd question he had ever heard. "If Jackson is dead, it's because Gerard wanted it to happen."  
Derek turned to look at Peter. "But why?"  
"Well that's what we need to figure out because the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly."

Alison's P.O.V:

I was talking to Gerard about strategy when my dad appeared at the door. He made to knock but when he saw us, he lowered his hand. "I saw the lights flicker." I smiled. My dad, always putting other people – and things – before himself.  
"Probably just one of our guests getting comfortable downstairs," he responded as if it was completely normal to have two werewolves chained up in your basement. "Get some sleep if you can," was the lasting thing Gerard said before he left. "I have a feeling the next twenty four hours are going to be event full."  
My dad put his hand out to stop Gerard from leaving. "You wanna tell me what happened at the game?"  
"Didn't you hear?" Gerard said with an innocent smile. "We won."  
"I mean with Jackson," my dad practically snarled and I took a small, involuntary step closer.  
"I know what you meant." Said Gerard, pushing the hand away and exiting.  
I didn't look at my dad as I pulled of my archer's gloves. "You need something?" I didn't want to see my dad. Every day he was becoming more and more like a sympathizer like Stiles or Lily or even Lydia.  
"I want to step aside and let us handle this." He finally said after a moment or two of tense silence.  
I rounded on him. "You're kidding? Right?"  
"One of your friends is dead-"  
"Because of Derek!" I yelled right in his face, "How do you think Jackson became that thing in the first place? Kate. Mom. Jackson."  
"What about Scott?" dad asked in a desperate attempt to make me feel something. You see, that was the slap in the face. It would always come back to Scott. Always. "What if he dies too?"  
I contemplated my response, truly torn. "Since when do you care about Scott?"  
"I care about you."  
My face flushed with rage. "Jeez, dad, if you're gunna start quoting the top five things a parent should say to their kid everyday how about you start with: 'Alison, I'm really proud of you because you're doing exactly what I wanted.'" I said in a sarcastic tone and moved to my bed.  
"No," my dad replied, his voice shaking slightly with anger. "You're doing exactly what he wants. We all are."  
"I'm tired." I finally said, "I just really wanna pass out. Don't forget, you owe me a new bow…"  
I heard the cutting of leather and shot up from the bed. "And a new crossbow." My dad rep;ied before leaving.

Stiles's P.O.V:

I heard my dad talking with someone over the phone as soon as I'd mounted the last step. It sounded like he was talking to Scott's mom.  
"Yeah, I'm not finding any clues here," my dad's hoarse voice floated from my bedroom "Look if he shows up at the hospital- Yes. Well, thanks. Okay. Bye." My dad hung up the phone as I reached the doorway. My cheek stung and my lip was swollen but I felt no pain compared to the agony of seeing my dad so upset. "Come on, Stiles, where the hell are you?"  
"Right here," I said into the silence. My dad's head shot upwards and anger filled his expression as he glided towards me. "Dad, dad, dad, it's okay, it's okay, really."  
"Who did it?" he demanded, grabbing my face and looking at the aggressive bruise that was sure to be forming. "Who did this to you?"  
"It was just some kids from the MDE. They were pissed about losing and I was mouthing off. The next thing I know is-"  
"Who was it?" Dad snarled, frowning furiously.  
"Dad, I don't know. I didn't even see their faces properly." I responded trying to milk the lie.  
"I want descriptions," he commanded through gritted teeth.  
"Dad, it's not even that big of a deal-"  
My dad shoved an infuriated finger in my face. "I'm calling that school. I'm gunna call them and I'm gunna go down there personally and I'm gunna put my pistol to these little bastards-"  
"Dad!" I yelled, stopping his volley of threats. "I said it was okay."  
Tearfully, my dad grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me into the embrace. I fought the tears for a moment and then though 'what the hell?' and let them engulf me.

Isaac's P.O.V:

As I pushed the door of the burnt up old Hale house open, Scott exclaimed "Thank god, they found Stiles."  
I allowed my eyes to adjust to the near pitch darkness of the house. Lily's eyes weren't as well suited to the darkness and she kept grabbing the back of my shirt at different intervals to stop herself from tripping up. "Just a little lower," I whispered and she slapped my arm.  
"Screw you, Lahey." She tossed the weak insult almost silently into the air.  
"Will the three of you stop behaving like four-year-olds?" Derek barked at us, me in particular. Turns out Derek doesn't really hold humans – or witches – in the highest of regards. "I've already searched everywhere already," he said, redirecting his grumpiness to Peter. "There's nothing here."  
"You didn't look here." Peter said, removing the bottom two steps. Scott observed him with weariness as Peter pulled something box like from underneath the stairs.  
"What is that? A book?" Derek asked clearly confused and annoyed at himself.  
"No," Peter replied as if it was an absurd question. "It's a laptop. What century are you living in?"  
Derek snarled again. He was always behaving like a true wolf. "A few days after I got out of the coma I transferred everything we had. Fortunately the Argents aren't the only ones keeping records. And you," he said turning to Lily. "Will be wanting this."  
He tossed something in the air and I had to stop myself from shielding her using my body. She really hated it when I did that. "Thanks but what is it?"  
Peter rolled his eyes. "Honestly? Witches nowadays… that my microwave fingered friend is an 'album annales' or white chronicle in Latin. It's sort of a spellcaster's Manuel. In there is every spell you're ancestors collected from simple home remedies to… darker things."  
"How did you get this?" Lily asked, leafing through the rustic, hand-written pages.  
"Our families have more connections than you think. Centuries ago when the Argents hunted us to near extinction, the witches offered advice, spells and wisdom in exchange for protection. Unfortunately when you're dealing with werewolves… they're not the most trustworthy of allies."  
Realization flashed over Lily's features. "They killed them?"  
"Actually no," Peter said with a frown "They just didn't live up to their end of the bargain. So the witches stopped doing business. That's why the Hale family was the only werewolves left in Beacon Hills up until about a year ago. The witches went to great length to interbreed with humans and keep the babies a secret to keep the heritage of witches – both adepts and elementals – going. There are very few pure witches left in the world now."  
Lily frowned. "Wait what do you mean… pure witches?"  
"Oh," he said, exchanging yet another meaningful look with Peter. "The vet didn't tell you, did he?"  
Lily cocked her head. "Tell me what?"  
"You're no ordinary witch, Lily, you're a mixture of pure, adept and elemental. You're a rogue."


	16. 16: The Witching Hour

**It's k**ind of long but I need to encorporate most of the season finale :D (Can you believe it's over?) but I really hope you enjoy it. This is one of the last chapters so enjoy and there might be a sequel – hopefully!

Anyway, so this is by far my favorite chapter because you get all the characters thought so, there you go!

Isaac's P.O.V:

I tried to focus, clear my head of thoughts but every time I tried Lily's own thoughts filled my head as she rustled through the ancient manuscript. Whenever I managed to shut her out, her scent raced up my nostrils, intoxicating and addictive, and opened my mind.  
"Will you stop thinking for two seconds?" I snapped a little too aggressively. Lily's head shot upwards and she gave a sympathetic smile.  
"I'm sorry," she said, honestly, closing the book. A dust cloud hovered in the air above it for a while before dissipating. She tried to hug me and I smiled as she groaned, unable to match my height. Lily wasn't small – not by any means, she was at least five seven maybe even eight but I was around six foot two and towered above her. After a while she finally gave up. "Hug fail." I gave her a laugh and wrapped an arm around her waist.  
"Better?" I asked as we all sat in stony silence.  
"Much." She replied, giving me an exhausted smile. Now looking down at her, I saw how much the craziness of the past couple of days had weighed down on her. Lily's eyes were filled with tears from yawning and dark rings circled those hazel eyes. She couldn't stop fidgeting; she constantly put her hands in her pockets to mess around with her cellphone and learner's permit and consequently dropped it in the floor.  
"Will you get her to stop that before I rip her throat out?" Derek said casually, I curled my hands into fists, curved nails drawing blood and leaving behind stinging wounds. I would not growl. I would not.  
"It's okay," Lily whispered, placing her tanned hand over my pale one. She uncurled my fist and watched as the wounds melted away into nothing. I realized how lucky I was, really. I had got all control over the wolf; it wasn't like the Scott and Alison relationship in its early stages where he'd been barely able to control himself around her. Despite my control, Lily had always seemed to have a calming tendency to her, when around Boyd and Erica who were reckless and only had a speck of control; she could stop them with a look. Like she had that morning in the forest. That day, I realized, changed my life. Before Lily, I didn't care who lived and who died, I didn't care that I was throwing my life away or that I had basically become Derek's lap dog. I hadn't thought about how much the bite would ruin her life. I'd been selfish. I'd _almost_ been selfish, I reminded myself. Because she stopped me. And I would always remember that, that's why I protected her and tried to keep her safe and close.  
"Guys," Scott gulped as he entered the room. "We have a problem."  
"I think we can all see that, Scott," Peter remarked, not looking up from his laptop.  
"No. It's worse. _A lot_ worse."  
Lily's head peaked as she heard the worry and fear in Scott's voice. "What is it?"  
"It's Jackson," he said. "He might be alive."

Lily's P.O.V:

"What's happening to him?" Scott asked as the four of us examined what was once Jackson. Half of him was snake like where as the other half; the hair, body, remained human. He appeared to be cocooned in some sort of jelly substance. I'd been warned not to touch it when all I wanted to do was see it up close.  
"I don't know!" Mrs. McCall said frantically, her hand raised up to her mouth – an expression which I recognized – at the impossibility. "I thought you could tell me! I mean, is it bad?"  
"Well, it doesn't look good." Isaac remarked and I slapped his arm at his insensitivity. He gave me a 'what-the-hell?' hand gesture and I frowned but at the same time managed to roll my eyes.  
Jackson stirred and we all jolted back as if he was electrified. Everyone let out universal 'woahs' of surprise with a mixture of freaked out and terrified expressions.  
"Mom, could you zip it up, please?" Mrs. McCall looked at the three of us with an exasperated expression at being automatically nominated.  
"Okay," she replied, mumbling slightly on the zip. "Okay, okay, okay: here we go." Mrs. McCall began to zip up the body bag but it got caught at the point of Jackson's neck. She tugged on it but the tiny piece of metal refused to move.  
Jackson's mouth opened and a snake like hiss sounded in the room, I backed up until I was almost involuntarily against the wall and grabbed Isaac's wrist. Then, feeling foolish I dropped it.  
"Mom, zip. Zip, mom, zip. Zip!" Scott said frantically as the zip became loose and she was able to pull it over his head.

Erica's P.O.V:

Fear. That's what the entire room stank of. Deep seated and insatiable fear. Not just from me but from my pack mate Boyd, too. When Chris Argent entered the room, I knew he couldn't smell the lingering odor but he produced his scent, a smell laced with betrayal, anger and grief. Never a good combination.  
"You know my family has done this for a long time," he said, making a move on the box of machines. "Long enough to learn things like how a certain level of electrical current can keep you from transforming. And another level you can't heal. A few amps higher and no heightened strength. That kind of scientific accuracy makes you think where the line between the natural and the supernatural really exists." Argent couldn't seem to want to look at us as he placed his hand on the voltage controller. My mascara was running thick and fast down my cheek and my heart rate accelerated. "It's when lines like that blur that you sometimes find yourself surprised by what line you end up on."

Derek's P.O.V:

"They say he's in some kind of transparent casing by the venom made out of his claws," I said, relaying the information Scott was giving me back to Peter. I didn't trust him at the best of times but he seemed to know what he was doing so I was going to give him any information that might be useful.  
"That sounds sufficiently terrifying." Was what Peter replied in a bored manner. I was really getting sick of him doing that.  
"They also say he's starting to move." I added, knowing he wasn't listening but saying it anyway.  
"Look, here, I found something," he said squinting at the screen "Looks like what you've seen from Jackson is just the Kanima's Beta shape."  
"Meaning what?" I asked frowning. "It can turn into something bigger?"  
Peter leaned away from the crudely drawn picture of the screen, as if it could come alive at any minute, before answering. "Bigger and badder."  
"He's turning into that? That- has _wings._"  
"Yep, I can see that."

Lily's P.O.V:

"Okay, guys," I said, waving Scott and Isaac forward. "Coast is clear. Go. Go!" I looked around the deserted parking lot to make sure no one spotted three teenagers carrying a corpse from the morgue. I still couldn't believe what a ridiculous and terrifying mishap we'd ended up in.  
We fast walked across the lot, Scott bumping into me more than once as we dashed to his car. I knew what this meant. I would have to ride in the back seat with Jackson. _Eww._ Something dropped to the ground with a thunderous crack. I turned to see Isaac dumbfound expression, he looked so cute in the low light and younger but I was too distracted at Scott to notice. Much. Okay, so I noticed Isaac before the more impromptu situation so shoot me.  
"You dropped him?" I asked in frustration as Scott tried to lift him and Isaac thought _Don't ever call me cute again._ I stifled a laugh as a black range rover pulled up spitting gravel in it's wake. I shielded my eyes in the headlights heavy glare.  
All three of us were past shocked to see Chris Argent step into view.

Derek's P.O.V:

"Derek we need Lydia-"  
I growled my frustration at him, my voice almost shouting. "Look we don't have time for-" Peter raised a finger to silence me which was infuriating.  
"That's the problem, we're rushing, we're moving too fast and while everyone knows that a moving target is harder to hit- here we are racing right towards Gerard's crosshairs."  
I turned my back on him and headed for the door. "If I get the chance to kill Jackson," I replied flatly, "I'm taking it."

Lily's P.O.V:

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Scott finally said, "You're alone."  
"More than you know," Argent replied in a truly sad tone. I couldn't help but feel a little pitiful for him. I knew what it was like to be alone.  
"What do you want?" I asked him and he seemed surprised to hear a girl's voice. Maybe he hadn't noticed me until now. That was me. Good old Lily Anderson, forever the invisible girl.  
"We don't have a lot in common but right now we do have a common enemy," was what he replied. I shuffled on my feet.  
"That's why we're trying to get him out of here." Scott said in a calm way.  
Argent met his eye when he spoke. "I wasn't talking about Jackson."

Stiles's P.O.V:

"How much do you know about this stuff?" I quizzed Lydia as I threw my phone down on my bed. I frustrated me how many people knew about all this stuff already. Why did Lydia have to know? She was about as safe as an bug under a boot.  
"Bits and pieces," she responded shakily. "Hell, half of it's like a dream."  
"Well, you know what the other half's like? A nightmare." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose and wanting to punch myself in my already beaten face.  
"I don't care. I can help him," she said in stone cold certainty. I wanted to shake her.  
I stared at her in utter disbelief when I answered. "You see that's the problem. You don't care about getting hurt. You know how I'll feel? I'll be devastated. And if you die I will literally go out of my frikin' mind. 'cause death doesn't happen to you Lydia it happens to all the people around you. Everyone left behind standing at you're funeral, trying to figure out how they're gunna live the rest of their lives' now without you in it. Huh? I mean look at my face, huh?" I said, raising a voice and advancing on her. I jabbed a finger in my face to make the message clear. "You really think this was supposed to hurt me?"  
Lydia scanned my face, obviously shocked and upset by what I'd said. I realized my error way too late and backed off, knowing I'd blown it. "I'm so sorry- I-"  
'It's okay," she said in a small voice and then with a more darker edge, added, "I'll find him myself."  
"Hey Lydia! Wait!" and then she was gone. Disappearing like a spirit into the night.

Isaac's P.O.V:

Midnight. The witching hour. I had my witch, but that was the least of our problems. "Gerard has twisted his way into Alison's head, same way he did with Kate," Argent told the three of us but mainly Scott. "I'm losing her and I know you are too."  
Scott seemed to contemplate this for a while but I couldn't tell from where I was standing. "You're right," he said finally, "So can you trust me to fix this?"  
Argent didn't respond verbally so I assumed he nodded his head or something.  
"So can you let us go?"  
"No." I sent my downcast but unsurprised expression tumbling to the floor. Lily seemed to sense my unease and cocked her head at me in a 'don't-give-up-yet' gesture. "My car's faster."

Argent and I loaded Jackson into the trunk of the car. It was rather awkward and I could sense Argent's weary glare on me more than once. Me and Lily clambered into the backseats as the more experienced wolf took to the passenger seat and Argent got behind the wheel. I pulled Lily close to me as the car sped off.

Stiles's P.O.V:

I was sat at my desk now, contemplating what to do next when my dad hovered near the doorway.  
"She left, huh?" my dad said with the signature, 'huh?' of the Stiliniski family, we all over used the term. It was like our thing.  
"Yeah," I replied, feeling like an idiot for shouting at her. "Yeah, she left."  
"So…"  
"So?"  
"So, is there anything, you know, _there?_"  
I gave my dad a weak smile. "Naw," I replied, my smile faltering. "No, she's in love with someone else."  
My dad sighed and came to take a seat on the desk next to me. It was time for me to feel a little hurt. Usually, I was the outside observer, helping solve werewolf problems, to keeping the peace, to coming up with a convincing lie, to being a love guru. But I noticed that in my time of need, no one ever seemed to be there for me. "Listen, I know that getting beaten up. Bad. And with what happened to Jackson's got you pretty shaken but be happy about one thing.  
I cocked my head and gave my dad a tired sideways look. "The game." He said. In all the chaos, I'd completely forgotten about it. Not that there was much to remember aside from Jackson dying. "You were amazing," I could feel the goofy smile coming on my face and tried to smother it.  
"Thanks, dad."  
"No I mean it, look. It was pretty much over and then you got the ball. And you started running. You scored and the tide turned. And you scored again and _again,_" my dad said with a beaming, proud smile. "You weren't just the MVP of the game, you were a hero."  
My smile faltered on the word hero. "I'm not a hero, dad."  
"You were tonight. Or last night seeing as it's the witching hour." My dad replied as he patted me on the back and padded from my room.

"I'm not a hero."

Lily's P.O.V:

As Isaac moved over to the trunk once we'd all piled out, he said, "I think he's stopped moving."  
"Where's Derek?" Chris asked Scott who shook his head. He was supposed to be here. Maybe he had run into Gerard on the way here but as he said it, Derek came running over. On all fours and did a back flip in midair. Somebody certainly likes to make an entrance.  
"I'm here for Jackson. Not you." Chris said in a harsh tone.  
"Somehow I don't find that very comforting," Derek replied in a cold voice, "Get him inside," he ordered the three of us. Scott and Isaac again refused to put me in any danger – sexism, I tell you – and wouldn't let me lift Jackson. Not that I wanted to either.  
"Where are they?" Scott asked when the five of us had congregated together. I stayed near Isaac. I didn't trust either Argent or Derek.  
Derek gave him a questioning look. "Who?"  
"Peter and Lydia?" Derek didn't respond, he only moved to the body bag and began to unzip it "Well hold on a second. I thought you knew how to save him?"  
"We're past that." Derek said solemnly.  
"What? I though yo-!"  
"Think about it, Scott!" he suddenly yelled which made me flinch. Isaac looped his fingers through mine. "Gerard controls him now! He's turned Jackson into his personal guard dog! And he set all of this in motion so Jackson could get bigger and even more powerful!"  
"No," Chris said, causing us all to turn rapidly at the confused sound. "No, no. he wouldn't do that. If Jackson is a dog he's turning rabid and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live."  
"Of course not," a familiar but unwelcomed voice said. We all turned to see Gerard, dressed up to the nines in his fancy suit and suede shoes, flanked by the one and only: Olivia. She was holding a shot gun pointed directly at us. Directly at _me._ Elecrticitry crackled into life, dancing over my skin. Everyone's attention was turn between the geriatric psycho and the lightning coated girl. "Something that dangerous. That out of control is better off dead."  
Derek ignored him and lifted his clawed hand to slit Jackson's throat. But the snake boy jolted from his sleep and venomed claws of his own stabbed Derek's chest. He lifted the Alpha high above his head, much to my horror and threw him across the warehouse floor.  
"Well done to the last, Scott," Gerard replied, "Like the concerned friend you are, you brought Jackson to Derek to save him but what you didn't realize was you brought Derek to me."  
An arrow soared through the air and I put my arms up defensively to stop it hitting me in the face. Only it didn't hit me.

It hit Isaac.

Pain soared through my shoulder as Isaac toppled to the ground but I was more worried about Isaac that I was myself. I joined him on the ground and pulled on arrow free. Isaac gave an horrendous scream but I stroked his face and he calmed down, the amber dying from his eyes.  
"Alison?" Scott questioned at the disappearing silhouette. So it was Alison who'd tried to kill me. Because the arrow had been meant for me. It was coming right at me and Isaac stepped in the way. It hit his shoulder which meant it had been aimed at my head. Rage bubbled inside me and fire whirled with lightening. Isaac put his hand over mine and the anger died away, slightly.  
"It's okay," he muttered as Scott grabbed him and helped drag him away.

Jackson redirected his attention to Chris Argent and snarled at him. Chris shot at him and he recoiled, even more pissed off than before. He continued to shoot out the windows of his car, trying to find Jackson. He had to stop to reload and the full Kanima jumped onto the hood, its slimy tail reaching out and wrapping around Argent's gun so he was unable to fire. He ran from it, pulling his knife from its sheaf. The Kanima launched at him and knocked him to the ground. He didn't get up.

Derek's P.O.V:

I leaped over the stacks and crates until I was facing the thing that was once Jackson Whittermore. I snarled at it, telling I was ready to fight.

Scott's P.O.V:

I allowed my claws to extend and gave Derek a signal I was with him 'till the end.

Isaac's P.O.V:

I was ready to do whatever it took to save the people I loved. I was ready to fight and die.

Lily's P.O.V:

I couldn't fight the Kanima as well as the wolves could but I could let my lightning to the punching. Fire mixed with electricity. I was ready.

Peter's P.O.V:

I watched as the three younger wolves engaged the Kanima. It seemed every attack was thrown off. I saw that their strategy more than anything was to tire it out. The witch stood on the sidelines – the plan B, I assumed. Derek kicked its back after it had just thrown Isaac into a crate. Derek was more a show off when he fought incorporating, flips and jumps instead of focusing on the agenda. He lacked concentration and let instinct rule him.

I was frustrated I'd been told to stay out of it. Scott punched its face but the thing only glared and swiped it's claws across his face. Isaac made a move to get up but the Argent girl stepped in his way. She slashed at his stomach and as I watched something amazing happened. Blood poured from the witch's shirt at exactly the same time.  
"No," she screamed, directing her electricity into her arms but just before she was about to fire another girl sent a knife soaring through the air. It hit her in the gut and she screamed as it burnt her. I recognized the symbols carved into it and the smell the blade protruded. 'Hexen Gift' or Witches Poison in German. Isaac fell to one knee as the girl crawled into a fetal position, desperately clawing at her stomach and trying to rip the blade, melting her skin, from her body. Alison took the opportunity whilst Isaac was wounded to move to his back and stab it with both knives. Both teens fell at exactly the same time.

There was something more going on there. Something much more complicated than a simple High School romance. A spell, maybe. _Or maybe,_ I thought _a bond._ Vinculum. Oh, that idiot Veterinarian. Taking to supernatural species and bonding them, had he any idea what he had done?

"Alison!" Scott yelled as the Hunter girl advanced on Derek. But the knives were prized from her hands by Jackson. He grabbed her throat and held her, hovering off the ground. I noticed out the corner of my eye, the two severely injured teens had crawled together, both sat, in agony but together.

Lily's P.O.V:

I was in so much agony I was blinded by the pain. All the control I had was directed into gritting my teeth so I didn't scream. Isaac was whispering in my ear, sounding as if he was in about as much pain as I was.  
"I'm going to pull the knife out now," he said, lifting up my loose t-shirt to examine the wound. I looked down at it and almost blacked out. It was charred a deep midnight all around the knife and my blood was literally boiling where the knife touched it. "Don't move."

I tried to stay as still as possible. Isaac wrapped both hands around the handle and yanked it free, skin peeled and I screamed in utter agony but luckily Isaac got there quickly and clamped a hand over my mouth to stop me from drawing attention to us.  
"I can heal you now," I said once the wound healed up leaving only a single, tiny scar you could barely see.  
"No." he said firmly even though his face was drenched in sweat and he was obviously suffering. "You're in bad shape, healing others right now could kill you."

I sat up weakly to see the Kanima holding Alison by the throat. I couldn't hide my pleasure.  
_That's not very nice,_ Isaac said even though I could heal the smile in his voice.  
_She's getting a taste of her own medicine. _

Scott's P.O.V:

"Not yet sweetheart," Gerard said slipping from the shadows. He strolled as if he owned the world.  
"What are you doing?" Alison asked, frantic, as Gerard looked around at the gathered faces.  
Something clicked in my mind. A memory of sorts. "He's doing what he came here to do."  
"Then you know?" quizzed Gerard look back to me as if it was tennis matched between to equally skilled players.  
"What is he talking about?" Alison asked utterly confused.  
Gerard ignored her. "It was the night outside the hospital wasn't it when I threatened your mother? I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could smell it couldn't you."  
Isaac looked up, his face coming in to view to see a mix of sweat, blood and grime. It wasn't as bad as Lily though. "He's dying," he said, smelling the same thing I smelt.  
"It's true. I am, have been for a long time now. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a cure for cancer yet but the supernatural does." He stared down at Derek and Alison's mouth hit the floor. The Kanima's grip tightened on her neck.  
"You monster," Chris snarled at him.  
"Not yet."  
Tears formed in Alison's eyes. "What are you doing?"  
"You'd kill her, too?" Chris said, worried for his daughter. Rage and Confusion was heavy in the air but now a new emotional scent laced it. Betrayl.  
"If comes to survival I'd kill my own son." Gerard replied looking Chris in the eye.  
Now a new voice rose, filled with fury. "You think you're any better than us!" Lily's voice screeched as she got to her feet. "Look at yourself. Okay, so some of us can make lightning and others can turn into snakes but _we care! _We look after the people we love! If you do this – to your own family – it just proves you're not better than the rest of us! YOU'RE ALREADY A MONSTER!"  
Gerard laughed, it was a harsh sound like nails being scrapped against a chalkboard. "I am better than you. I have evolved," he continued in a softer voice, "Scott?"  
I stared down at Derek. Not knowing what to do. I allowed my wolf form to retract so Derek was the only wolf left in the room. I leaned over him and picked him up by the back of his neck. I held him in place which was a lot of hard work.  
"Scott, don't," he warned me, "He'll just kill me right after. He'll be an Alpha."  
"That's true but I think he already knows that, don't you, Scott? He knows that the ultimate prize is Alison." I looked at Alison as he spoke and I could see her pleading with her eyes not to do it. But I had to. I loved Alison. Maybe our love was iffy and reckless and not as strong as Lily and Isaac's but it was still love. "Do this small task for me and they can be together. You're the only piece that doesn't fit, Derek. And in case you haven't learnt yet there is just not competing with young love."  
"Scott, don't," he begged me, "I'm sorry."  
"But I have to."

I forced his head back, opening his mouth. He tried to force it shut but couldn't. Gerard forced his hand down onto the jagged teeth and screamed. I dropped Derek as he went limp in my arms. He raised his arm victoriously in the air but as we watched, black fluid dripped from wound leaving messy streaks. "What is this!" he yelled at no one in particular "What did you do?"

I looked down at a stunned Derek with a smile. "Everyone always said Gerard had a plan," I said, "So did we. Isn't that right, Lily?"  
Everyone's attention was directed at the newcomer in the group. "Lily had an idea, that if mountain ash could protect from the supernatural that it could also _prevent_ the supernatural. As in through a bite. So we went to the Vet's and filled placebos with the ash and then, when Gerard dropped his pill container, I just swapped them over and handed the placebos back."

Gerard reached in to his pocket and pulled out the container. "No, no, no." he said, forcing them into his hands and crushing them. "Mountain Ash!" Gerard fell to his knees as the ash oozed from his eyes and nose.

Black bile spurted from his mouth and cascaded onto the floor. Lily and Isaac leaped from the floor to avoid any skin touching the thick liquid. Once he was finally finished, he fell onto his side.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Derek said, perplexed.  
"Because you may be an Alpha," I said, "But you're not mine."  
Gerard crawled along the floor, spitting black bile and shaking. "Kill 'em," he slurred, "KILL. THEM. ALL!"

Gerard collapsed and the Kanima released its grip on Alison. She elbowed it in the face but it pushed her to the floor, confused.

The doors flew off their hinges as a blue Jeep rolled in. I couldn't have been more happy to see a huge dent on the bonnet of Stiles's car.  
"Did I hit him?" I heard him mumble through half closed eyes.

Stiles's P.O.V:

"Did I hit him?" I asked through closed eyes. My answer came when the Kanima jumped on the already dented bonnet and I screamed. I jumped from the car but Lydia didn't move instead she stood right in front of the Kanima's claw, ready to strike.  
"Jackson? Jackson!" she said holding something up to him.  
"Lydia!" I yelled trying to race after her but Scott put a hand on my chest to stop me. The five of us stood there. Me, Scott, Alison, Isaac and Lily, like it was just a normal day. Like we were a bunch of friends heading out for a good time. Like we were all normal.  
Jackson's face flickered with recognition as he took a key from her hands. The boy's eyes returned to their sea blue and Jackson appeared mostly human. He stepped away from Lydia and offered his arms out, leaving his torso exposed. Derek and Peter leaped from the shadows and simultaneously stabbed Jackson, he let out rattling breaths as they pulled their claws from his body and he slumped.  
Lydia caught him. As I watched. Alison and Scott linked hands as did Isaac and Lily. Isaac moved away a little and Derek put a hand on his shoulder. I put my arm around Lily and she let me lean into her.  
"I'm sorry," she said as I watched Lydia and Jackson, "I know you like her."  
"It's okay," I responded, "I'm fine."

The key hit the floor with a twang. Lydia held Jackson for a moment, his head resting on her shoulder. She lay him on the ground as the rest of the Kanima faded and Jackson returned. His body lay motionless on the cold concrete floor.  
"Where's Gerard?" Alison asked suddenly snapping me from my thoughts.  
"He can't have gotten far," Chris said but the scrapping of claws against the ground made us all turn and stare. Jackson stood, in the harsh glare of the jeep's headlights and roared.

Jackson had finally got what he wanted. He was finally a werewolf. Lydia ran into him and held his embrace.

Lily's P.O.V:

There was still one thing I needed to do, I realized. I'd been so caught up in the dramatic events of the night I'd almost forgotten. Almost. I detangled my fingers from Isaac's and moved over to a stunned shaking girl would could barely speak. The girl had long blonde hair, emerald green eyes and symmetrical, pale teeth. Tears tracked down her eyes as I lifted her to her feet.  
"Where is she?" I growled, fire forming in my palm. The girl quivered beneath me. "WHERE!"  
"Ring. Home." She gasped through gritted teeth.

I pulled out my cellphone, keeping a vice like grip on the girl's upper arm. It rang twice and then a familiar voice said:  
"Hello? Lily?" _Thank. God._  
"Jennifer? It's me, Lily, sorry I didn't call before, we went to see Jackson." The lie sounded lousy and I hated having to do it but I didn't know how much she knew yet.  
"Oh, it's okay, I understand. Andrew came home and found me a couple of hours back. He was pretty shaken too but it's fine now. Come home when you can sweetie, love you."  
"Love you, too, Aunt Jen." I glared back at the girl I had once known as Olivia. The girl I had once had slumber parties with and told secrets too. The girl who had been my best friend. The girl who had betrayed me.

I dropped my hand to my side. "You never took her," I whispered and let go of her arm, she winced when she moved it away.  
"I'm so sorry, Lily." She gulped, probably only to save her own skin.  
"Go home," I commanded. "Pack a bag and leave town. If you haven't gone in the next twenty four hours I will hunt you down and make you pay."

The girl stared at me with wide mossy eyes in horror. Her expression seemed mortified as I turned my back on it.  
"Wait, Lily! Where am I supposed to go?" she begged, "I don't have anyone. My dad's dead, killed by werewolves. I'm all alone!"  
I couldn't understand why I was being so…_evil._ I just knew I wanted her away from the people I loved. "You should have thought about that before you sided with Gerard."

Isaac appeared in front of me moments later. He didn't say a word, just held out his arms. I leaped into his embrace and sobbed into his shoulder, too exhausted to care. He put his hand in my hair as I raised my lips to his.

Alison's P.O.V:

We were sat on the bed in my room. It was comforting to feel Scott's hand undermine. "I'm sorry," I whispered.  
"You don't have to say you're sorry," he replied, kindly.  
"I do," I said, "For what I did and what I said. For everything. Especially for what I have to do now."  
"It's okay," said Scott with a sad little smile.  
"No it's not,"  
"It is."  
"Scott I'm trying to break up with you," I said, my vision was blurred with tears and I spoke to loudly but I was too tired to care.  
He looked me right in the eye when he responded. "I know," he replied, and added "It's okay."  
I was perplexed. "How is that okay?"  
"Because I can wait."  
"I don't want you to wait, I can't make you do that." I said, my heart beat painfully and it felt like it was trying to escape up through my throat.  
"You won't have to," Scott said gently. "Because I know we'll be together. Forever this time."  
I laughed. "There's no such thing as fate and Forever is a Lie."  
He cocked his head. "There's no such thing as werewolves and normality lasts forever." I laughed at his last statement but it was a hysterical one that threatened to turn into sobbing. A tear rolled from my eye as I stared at him. I decided to give him one, last goodbye kiss. I leaned in and our lips locked desperately, we didn't want to let go but I knew I had to. I pulled away and stared at the pink rug, refusing to meet his eye. As Scott left he nodded at my dad with mutual respect. My dad sat down on the bed next to me and I hugged him, needing the comfort of my daddy more than ever.

I stole on last look at the doorway but Scott was gone.


	17. 17: Alpha

**Okay guys, so I'm going on a remote holiday soon and we don't know if we can get any connection or Wi-Fi or whatever where we're going so this might be it for a week or so, so if I go quiet I'm sorry **

! %^*)*&^$#^&($ )*|~& (!)_(*!^ $%#%#$~"|

**Several Days Later….**

Isaac's P.O.V:

Three of us were stood outside the old Hale House. A sigil was engraved in the door, something I'd never seen before. "You haven't told him everything yet, have you?" Peter said sounding ticked off but not surprised.  
I exchanged a look with Derek. "What do you mean?"  
"Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his Pack?" Peter quizzed, "When there's a new Alpha people take notice."  
I looked at them both, perplexed. "People like who?" I asked, hearing the edge in my own voice. "What is this?" I said, pointing to the insignia. "What does it mean?"  
"It's their symbol," Derek replied as I advanced on the door "And it means they're coming."  
"Who?" I asked dreading the answer.  
"Alphas."  
"Alphas," I repeated even more confused. "As in more than one?"  
"As in a pack of them."  
Peter put his boot against a tree and leaned, distractedly. "An Alpha pack. And they're not coming, they're already here."

I stared at the door for a while and then tore my gaze away. That's when I saw her. Silent as a shadow, her jet-black hair fell in tangles around her olive face. I worried about her, now more than ever. She was changing, embracing the inner witch as I embraced the wolf. She didn't look like her usual self, over tired and over hormonal. Lily was a survivor but it hadn't left her the same, the display of cruelty to her traitor friend had showed me that. But she wasn't becoming evil, she was getting stronger, I realized. She leaned against a far off tree with her arms crossed, waiting for me. Lily had accepted the way of life I was living, with a pack unlike Scott who'd chosen to be an Omega. I gave her a little nod of acknowledgement and she smiled.  
"Well, I'm sufficiently petrified but gentlemen I have an appointment so if you don't mind." I said with a goofy grin, brushing past them.  
"Looks like somebody has got a booty call…" Peter taunted as Derek rolled his eyes in frustration at me. I stifled a laugh.  
"Actually no," I replied, "I've got a tutoring session."

I was walking away when Derek said. "Isaac, wait!" I only half turned to him, wanting to go badly. "Just… be careful"  
I fully turned only to frown at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"There's a reason why witches were hunted to almost extinction. Some of them – especially those who didn't have the proper training - walked a narrow line between white and black magic."  
"Lily's not like that." I replied, coldly walking away.  
"You've only known her for two weeks!" Derek replied but I wasn't listening. I reached Lily at the tree and gave her a brief kiss. I put an arm around her shoulder and leaned on her as we walked away. I was still aching and the support she offered was minimal but I was thankful for the relief.

"Nothing's going to be the same," she said suddenly but she was right. Everything had changed. "and we have to be ready next time…"  
I kissed her hand. "I know and we will be. But right now I'd like to focus on something else like kicking your ass in Lacrosse practice."  
"Oh really," she teased, pushing me playfully as she stalked through the forest. "And what makes you sure I won't just use my new witch skills to cheat?"  
"Well," I replied, grabbing her arms and pulling her into me. "Then I'd have to give you a spanking for being so naughty." I grabbed her ass and she squealed, pushing me from her grasp.  
"Look don't touch." She moaned as she broke free of my grasp. I gave her a mischievous smile and she rolled her eyes. Damn, she was so beautiful. Even now in just jeans, a t-shirt and denim jacket she looked _so_ hot. I growled as she trod away, and slapped her butt again as an invitation. She glared at me and flipped me off. I blew a kiss at her and she pretended to swat it away.  
"Are you baiting me, Isaac Lahey?" she snarled at me from afar. We were both acting like a couple of drunken teens, too tired and lovesick to care. I pulled her close again and she gasped when I peak her neck and forced my hips into hers.  
_ I don't need to, _I said mentally, _You're too easy._  
Lily gasped and this time for a different reason. She slapped me in fast quick swishes until I grabbed her wrists to stop her. "Is that so? Well, then, let's play a game."  
I cocked an eyebrow "A game?"  
"If I manage to reach that clearing – and I will – before you catch me then you have to tell me about the Alpha pack-"  
"What?" I said my eyes growing wide. "How did you-?"  
"Telepathic, remember?" she said pointing to her cranium.  
"More like telepathetic…" I mumbled and she slapped me again in the chest, her arms were crossed in defiance and lips pursed in annoyance, I just managed not to roll my eyes at her frame. "Okay, so if you – by some major miracle – manage to reach the clearing, what do I get if I catch you?"  
"Well," Lily said, advancing on me and pressing her lips to mine. "We'll have to discuss the terms if you catch me, won't you?"

And with that, she detangled her fingers from mine. She jogged backwards for a while then turned her back on me as she sprinted into the forest. With a howl, I gave chase.

Lily's P.O.V:

Running – even with someone chasing me – makes me feel alive. I don't even have to think about where to put my feet. When I'm running my body and mind work separately as if I'm on auto-pilot. Maybe it's another perk of being a witch or maybe it's genetic. My family has trophies housed in the Beacon Hills High School trophy case - which is astonishingly bare – in Track and athletics dating back to the time of my great-grandfather everyone in the Anderson bloodline has at least one trophy, everyone, that is, apart from me.  
As I sprinted trying to remain stealthy and silent, my phone rang. I winced at the sound and stopped to frantically search my pockets. "What is it, Pikachu?" I snapped when I picked up.  
"Woah. Someone's touchy," the voice of Andrew's best friend Jake responded. I sighed at the static and noise in the background. The duo were undoubtedly up to know good. "I was just wondering if we could borrow you're Xbox?"  
"Okay, first: is whatever scheme you've got going this time illegal and is not how legal is it? And why do you need my Xbox?"  
I could just picture his rolling his eyes. "Relax, flower, Andrew's is broke so we just want to borrow it to play video games."  
"You can borrow it, just do break mine," I said, aware that Isaac was somewhere close, toying with me. "And you owe me one."  
Jake chuckled. "Fine, check you later." As he hung up someone knocked me to the ground only it wasn't Isaac. I struggled to my feet, only to see the person had disappeared. Nearby me I heard rustling then a harsh feminine laugh that only someone inhuman could hear.  
"We're gunna have some fun with this little human chewtoy," the woman was saying in a hushed voice.  
"Fine," a man mumbled begrudgingly. "But we don't kill her. Or turn her. You heard what Uriel said, we don't draw unwanted attention to ourselves."  
"You're such a sour-puss Liam, have a little fun for once." The woman replied in a dangerous tone.  
The man growled. "I mean it, Nikki, no fucking up. Just because we're all Alphas doesn't mean we don't listen to Uriel."

I knew then I had to stand my ground. If I ran it would put me at a disadvantage. I may be faster than them but when I run everything else is blocked out. I would never see a sneaky side attack or hear a stealthy approach. I would be basically human.  
"Who's there?" I asked with menace in my voice. I was sick and tired of this crap. It was a shame I had to wait until I was eighteen to get my gun license, until then I was shit outta luck. Not that I needed a gun, especially with my new powers but wiping out lightning every time I was faced with a fight or enemy wasn't exactly practical or enjoyable. I'd done a lot of research lately and found out my bolts were fuelled by hydrogen which comes from water. When I was dehydrated, like back in the car my body couldn't produce bolts and usually came back with fire but fire made my skin itchy and was exhausting.  
"Well, well, well…" a woman said strutting from the forest. I was struck by her intense beauty, fine red hair and wild silver eyes were intoxicating. I could barely tear my eyes away from her. "What do we have here?"  
Her companion stumbled from the bushes a moment later. He was clad all in black and towered above me. Both himself and this Nikki woman seemed seven foot tall. His brown hair was a jagged mess and his almost black eyes were cold and intimidating. "Nikki," he warned. "Back. Off."  
"I'm having fun," was all she said in reply, advancing on me. I took an instinctive step backwards.  
"Uriel said-" the boy began but was cut off by an almost barking voice.  
"I don't care what Uriel said!" the woman suddenly snapped, I took the opportunity to put distance between me and the two figures whilst they were having their little domestic. "I am an Alpha! I don't take orders from anyone but myself." Without saying another word, without even a warning, she launched herself at me. My body went into auto-pilot, my reflexes moving me safely from the path of danger ages before the woman toppled to the ground. She screamed in frustration and tried to swipe at me but someone caught her arm. It was the boy, Liam.  
"Run!" he shrieked as the trees nearby me exploded and Isaac came bounding towards the situation, I ran to meet him and without even greeting each other properly, we both sprinted to the nearest clearing. When I finally got my breath I said "…I think. You should. Tell. Me. About the Alpha pack. Now."


	18. 18: Drop Dead Gorgeous

Lily's P.O.V

"Is that all?" I moaned as Isaac pitched the ball at me and yet again I missed it. I wasn't good at lacrosse even though, as Isaac explained, it was just like catch instead with nets and sticks. The weight felt clumsy and unfamiliar in my hands and I really needed to work on my hand eye coordination.  
"You know," Isaac said, completely ignoring my question and laughing as I threw my lacrosse stick to the ground in a tantrum. "The whole point of lacrosse is to _catch_ the ball." I stormed off, my face flushing red. I officially detested lacrosse. I could raid through his mind if I really needed answers but that was hard, needing extreme focus and morally wrong. I just had to trust Isaac would tell me the truth on his own.  
"I _hate_ lacrosse," I replied as he advanced on me, wrapping massive, gangly arms around me. I could feel him struggling to get comfortable on my leaner shoulders. I could also feel the smile coming onto my face.  
He gave me a wistful look as I spun round to meet his face. "What are you so happy about?" he asked, staring at me oddly. I bit my lip before answering.  
"It's just…this. No hunters, no kanima and no one walking in on us. Just…bliss." I knew it sounded cheesy but I felt like I could say what I really thought around Isaac.  
He cocked his head with a fair-enough look. "Well, except for the Alpha pack."  
I scowled at him. "You just had to ruin it."  
"I'm sorry," he replied leaning down and locking lips with me and then all of it – the cawing of ravens in the distance, the croaking of wildlife happily chattering away in the warm Californian climate, the whine of the pool's motor, the crunching of blossoms beneath our feet and the wavy blue reflection of water coating everything – went away, it was only about Isaac and the hardness of his arms as they tightened around me, the smell of musk and vegetation that wrapped around his body and stabbed at mine often nowadays, and the softness of his hair beneath my fingers – I couldn't help play with the stiff curls, they felt like security beneath my skin; and the way I could feel his heart drumming in tune with mine.  
I smirked as I pulled away. "Apology accepted." My phone began to ring and Isaac groaned, moving in to kiss me again. "Wait." I had to put my hand on his chest and physically push him away. "I need to answer this."  
He seemed slightly annoyed, like no one had the right to come between us. Begrudgingly, he nodded in reply, wiping his bottom lip and licking his fingers. "You taste of cookies and…" he replied and added with a slight frown, "Woodsmoke?"  
I blushed furiously as I answered the phone. "Hello?" For a while, there was no answer and in the silence I tried to stop my still tingling lips from moving.  
"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" purred a woman's voice. I tensed at the sound. It was a voice I recognized. A voice I'd tried to run out of town. Olivia.  
I gritted my teeth, forcing my heart rate to stay calm so Isaac wouldn't- too late. He'd appeared by the side of me, growling in a low tone. "I thought I told yo-"  
"You think this is over?" she giggled, interrupting – and infuriating me. "You think just because Alison and Chris have switched sides that everything will be okay? It's not. We're coming for you Lily and so are _they._" She exaggerated the 'they' in a horror-movie-low voice to try and intimidate me. It didn't work, just making me even more annoyed.  
"So why are you ringing me then?" I spat as Isaac tried to prize the phone away from me. I was holding onto it for dear life, knowing he was do something stupid like crushing the cell in his fist or go around killing people on my behalf. "Won't it ruin you're master plan?"  
"It's not a threat, it's a warning. You stay out of our way, let us kill Scott and the rest of the pack – including Isaac – and you live. You try and intervene in anyway then… well; I'll start with your Aunt Jennifer and ship her back in pieces. Then I'll move onto your cousin and carve him up like a Christmas turkey," I knew that the more I listened to it, the more control over my powers slipped away. Even now I was feeling the warning signs; dry mouth, finding it hard to breath, aching arms as if they were waiting to be thrown forward and whatever was making them hurt to be shot through my fingers. "And then, I'll do Stiles. They say sarcasm is his only defense-" I don't know why I felt a sudden, unexplained burst of rage that made me snap when she said Stiles's name. I just knew that I had to get her voice as far away from me as possible. With a war cry, I tossed the cellphone into the pool. I'd been aiming for the grass but my aim had always been shitty. I clamped a hand over my mouth a second later.  
Isaac cocked an eyebrow with both admiration and mockery. "Wow," he commented, "You really do need to work on your aim." I laughed but it was more a reaction than a real emotion. To be honest, I was scared. Buried deep down, I was more than just scared. I was terrified.

Isaac's P.O.V:

"So…" Lily said as we entered the kitchen through the patio doors. I padded over to the fridge and pulled out a can of beer. I took another from the fridge and offered it to Lily. Then I realized what I was offering and who to. "What are you going to do for tonight's full moon?"  
"No," she said, putting her hands on her hips and pursing her lips in annoyance at my blatant dodge at her probing. "And you shouldn't be either."  
"I'm sixteen," I said, I put the beer down and try to kiss her but she wriggles away from my liquored breath. "Sixteen…Twenty one… close enough."  
"How do you even get you're alcohol?" she asked, as I toy with her hair letting the messy waves playfully sweep my fingers. I sigh; she seems worried, like I'm a college kid who is always throwing wild parties.  
"I have connections-" but before I can smooth over the lie, a flicker of realization passes over Lily's face followed by a scarlet flash of anger.  
"You mean Derek. Goddamn it Isaac-!"  
I place my lips onto hers but she dodges my kiss, knowing I'm trying to stop the firing line of questions attacking me. "I told you that wouldn't work every time," she scowls at me but leaves the Derek subject alone and returns to one equally as sinister. "Now what are you going to do for the full moon."  
"What full moon?" I replied.  
"Don't play dumb. You know there's a full moon tonight. The second full moon of a calendar month. A blue moon."  
"Honestly?" I ask her through a huff.  
"No, Isaac, I want you to lie to my face, dumbass." She smiles and I shove her away playfully.  
I sigh and lean against the back of the couch. "I don't know."  
After a few moments she collapses onto the couch with that look in her eyes she gets when she's got a plan that: A) Could be one of the greatest plans I've ever heard, or B) Could go horribly wrong and people could die including herself. Or maybe both. "I think I know exactly the place."

"Where are we going?" I moaned as she tugged on my hand, leading me through foliage and vegetation, the deeper into the heart of the forest she lead me, the more worried and skeptical of a real plan I became. Daylight was fading rapidly and I could feel the wolf stirring. It scratched just beneath the surface, biding its time and waiting for the moon to reach its peak when my human side would be at the weakest. Even now as I looked at the back of Lily's head; the ebony hair wiping in the late afternoon wind; her scarf – the sapphire blue one with the tassels – flowing effortlessly next to the dark mass; the feel of her gloved hands undermine; made me want to rip that coat off and-  
"Where here." The sound of her voice snapped me from my thoughts. I stared and at first I didn't see it. I adjusted my gaze, allowing it to lower and saw a ruin of foundations.  
"What is this place?" I quizzed as I stared at the pillars and marble that laddered the forest floor, moss and ivy had swamped whatever had lay here before so it was easy to miss but the entire place as soon as you put your foot on it, radiated aged evil. It was my werewolf senses and recognition that allowed me to sense places that had seen atrocities.  
"It's the old Hayden property or, at least, it was. Now it's just the basement," Lily moved to a particularly overgrown patch and moved it away easily, her scarf and jacket becoming slightly tangled. "Come on."  
I was apprehensive to follow her but then I realized she was the one needing protecting not me. I quickly caught up with her on the winding stone staircase. Lily wiped out a flashlight that blinked into life after she slammed it violently against her palm. "Are we allowed to be here?" I asked as she led me into a basement area. As soon as I entered the room I got an overwhelming sinking feeling and that was before I saw the cramped cells.  
"Yeah," she said, "My mom was Tonya Hayden. Her family owned the house, still does."  
I traced my fingers over the bumpy bricks jutting dangerously from the walls; some had sunk into the ground leaving sharp rocks bursting from the floor. My fingers moved over forceful scratch marks etched into the stones and for a second I could have sworn I heard a man's voice, screaming. Begging.  
"What happened here?" I asked instinctively and Lily looked away from me, shuffling on her feet awkwardly.  
"Before the civil war, most of the forest wasn't here; it was part of a plantation owned by the Hayden's. And every plantation needs workers."  
I allowed my fingers to curl away from the scars in the rock. Yet another ugly reminder of a time almost out of human memory.  
"Do you have the stuff?" Lily asked, obviously uncomfortable around the subject. I nodded and took off my heavy backpack I'd been saddling over one shoulder for half a mile. I pulled out the thick chains and locks and spare wolfsbane.  
I dropped them on the floor as I gripped my chest. It was starting, I could feel it. The overwhelming crushing feeling as if bricks were being piled on my chest, like I couldn't breathe. Lily pulled out what looked like a Taser from her pocket.  
"Get the wolfsbane." I demanded. I knew what would come next. I would have to drink it, force it down my gullet. Like drinking car battery acid to a werewolf. She passed it to me with a shaking hand. I pinched my nose and took it like vodka shot. It burned as soon as it touched my mouth and almost stripped the skin off the back of my throat. I gipped and Lily caught me as I tried to force it back up.  
"You don't have to drink the rest of it," she whispers in a calm voice. She's taking this better than I thought she would. Soon it wouldn't matter because I'd be gone and she'd be left with a warped version of the Isaac she knew.  
"Yes. I do." I said forcing it down.

Lily's P.O.V:

I help him wrestle out of his clothing until his in nothing but his boxers. I clamp the chains to his wrists and ankles and then to the steel supports on the basement floor.  
"Locks…" he pants as he screams through gritted teeth. "_Locks!_"  
I jump at his voice, so rough and wild. The wolf is close now and soon I've got to remember I'm not talking to Isaac but a twisted version of his memory.  
"Go," he said. I made a move for the door but he stops me with his almost whispered voice. "Not the woods, the Alpha pack will be out tonight. The cell. Hurry." I obey him, grabbing a chain from the floor and wrapping it around my cell door tightly.

The next few hours are hell to watch, I observe as every bone in his body snaps and twists, then heals itself and repeats the process. I can see the canines clearly in his mouth now and his eyes are unwavering amber.  
Isaac suddenly convulses and my instinct is to rush to him. My body aches; I'm feeling the pain on an entirely lower level. "Isaac?" I ask, worried.  
He twitches and then looks up. But what I see resembles nothing of Isaac. He inhales and smirks.  
"You smell good," he says, getting to his feet. I back away slightly and it only makes him laugh more. "Come on, darling, let's have some fun."  
I glare at _it._ "Not in a million years."  
"You're scared," Isaac persists, he's reached the end of chain and can't get any closer but I still don't feel safe. "I can smell it on you. That's not the only thing I can smell…"  
"Oh yeah," I snarl, suddenly I feel more confident. And angry. "What else?"  
"Why don't you step out of that cage and I'll tell you."  
"Never going to happen."  
"Oh, come on," he moans like an impatient five-year-old, "I'm just like Isaac, only…_better._"  
I raise my eyebrows. "You're _nothing_ like Isaac. Plus, you stink of wet dog."  
A flash of anger passes over the wolf's face at the insult. "You want to know what you smell like to me, Lily?" he adds as he applies pressure to his restraints, the squeal under his strength as the chain caressing his right ankle comes loose. "A bitch on heat."  
We hesitate for a few moments regarding each other; I hope my gaze is full of contempt and braver than I feel. How old are these bars? A hundred years, maybe more. What horrors have they seen? Not important, I remind myself. The better question I should be asking is can they hold off a werewolf? Back in the olden days, they could hold slaves in cramped conditions for weeks but they were malnourished and frightened people who obeyed their masters. The cell wouldn't be able to hold off a wolf and I don't trust those chains, either. One has already come free what if next time it's his wrist. I back up until I'm almost against the wall.  
I don't want to do this, it's in my head and I know I have to but it feels so _wrong._ This isn't some dumb, anonymous henchman I'm going to toss around like in the old James Bond films, this is Isaac. _No,_ a voice in my head spits at me, I recognize the tone soft as caramel but at the same time as harsh and tight as steel, _it's not me. _  
Isaac is right, it's not him but he is in there looking out. I assumed it must be like being locked in a glass suitcase whilst another person ran around your house smashing up all your precious things. _He wants to hurt you,_ Isaac tells me which makes my heart thunder. _Do it, before he gets free. _  
"I'm sorry," I whisper as my hand shots forward. Pain builds up in my wrist, twisting painfully like a cramp, lightning shoots from the end of my fingers. I don't know why it was so subdued and concentrated, maybe because my psyche couldn't deal with another person I cared about dead or gone – and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed Isaac. The bolt hits his shoulder and sends him careering stunned into the wall, plaster and stones fall with him as he hits the ground screaming with inhuman fury.  
"You fucking bitch!" he says as he gets to his feet. Claws extended and jagged teeth split from his mouth. I thought that because this was his third full moon he might have more control. He'd told me he had an anchor – his father no less – and could stay in charge even when the moon was at its peak. I should have known better. Isaac wasn't a great communicator but I should have spotted how the body language was off when I'd suggested I'd help him through it. I should have seen the warning signs, temperamental behavior, withdrawing from social groups and the biggie: enhanced arousal. I should have known we couldn't do this on our own. Isaac needed Derek whether I liked it or not and I'd been a selfish-  
Isaac launched himself at me and I managed to avoid his claws by millimeters. I watched as the ends of my dark hair that had caught the sharp edges fall onto the ground. It may have made me angry but for now I was grateful it was only hair. I tried to send out another bolt but a jet of water soaked him instead. I stared down at my dripping palm in amazement. This shit just got crazier every day.  
I didn't hesitate. I threw myself at the stairs and ran up them. When I got half way only then did I hear furious footfalls storming after me. As I reached the door, I felt claws; sharp and curved graze my ankle followed by rich, decaying breath. I slammed the door onto fingers, not bothering to waste time being gentle and trying not to hurt him. I contemplated what to do next as I sat on the shaft. Isaac was throwing his entire weight against the panel which, more than once, made me leap more than two feet into the air. I spotted a boulder. Did I have enough time to reach it and get it back in front of the door before Isaac tore me to shreds? What the hell, you only live once, right?  
I sprinted for it and the door came loose almost flying off its hinges. Before the werewolf could emerge, however, I planted a heavy doc martin in its cranium. The wolf-man howled and I slammed the door shut in its face like a cheap B-movie close-call. I throw the boulder against it with a resounding crack and the battering of the door stops. I hear the wolf's retreating footsteps and the resentful growling. It hasn't given up; it's just recuperating its energy. It'll have me someday.  
Just not tonight, I remind myself.  
I'm unsure of what to do; the keys are back in the Hayden house basement, tucked tightly into the pocket of Isaac's rucksack. Why did I have to be so stupid? Why did I not think ahead?

With nothing else to do, I decide to trek home. I can't be that far from my house, can it? And I want to get out of here. It's starting to give me the creeps. The ominous noises of Isaac going crazy behind me, smashing stuff up and screeching like a banshee contrasted against the eerie silence of the forest makes shivers run down my spine in rapid succession.

Liam's P.O.V:

I'm enjoying the night even if the breeze is leaving me particularly frozen. Four years in control of my wolf side and I only feel the mildest of pulls beneath the surface. Once you learn how to allow the wolf to breathe without letting it snap off its leash it's easy to stop the overwhelming dragging, crushing feeling of the full moon.  
I'm walking past a cemetery – I know, cliché – it's a rundown old thing, robbed of love and care. Most of the grave stones that are visible to me have toppled or crumbled into the ground, sinking into an unknown oblivion. A young woman stands alone, her fair hair and skin obscured by the dim gray light. Any other human – not that there would be any other people this deep in the forest this late at night – might not have noticed her; she just looked like another pretty face in a world overflowing with them. But it struck me as a little more than odd she's wearing a bikini in an area where night temperatures could reach minus five.  
Then she looks at me and I feel stupid for not realizing before. The left side of her face as been shredded, the eyelids where missing leaving an inky black eye that would be forever forced to stare at the poor person who might stumble across this once beautiful face. Her cheek was completely gone, leaving dried skin hanging like stretched spaghetti desperately trying to cover rotting molars.  
We regard each other wearily for a few moments. I know there's a story there. Maybe she was at some kind of party near a waterfall and fell onto the rocks. Or perhaps she was pushed by a jealous lover. Maybe she was on the beach and left for an ice cream and just didn't see that taxi. I growl at her and she hisses in return, eyes swirling back into her skull as she melts into the ground. I'm not concerned. Dead things like her didn't kill. She might have tried to give me a scare if I'd gotten to close but she wasn't strong enough to do any real damage and she didn't feel like others I'd met, she was full of fear but not confusion. She knows she's dead.  
I shivered and not because of the chill. Not many people know about ghosts, not even Uriel. Most shape-shifters were oblivious to each other never mind the world of ghosts and witches and god knows what else. I'd been seeing ghosts long before I became a werewolf and when I was bitten it was heightened somehow. My dad could see them too before he passed on.  
A bitter wind ruffles my jagged hair and I groan. My eyes flicker up to the cemetery and in the dark I catch glimpses of shuffling figures. I keep reminding myself that most of them are just imprints, memories trapped on reply. That they're not all like the girl I saw but as I think it I know better. I can feel them, most are just scared and confused but some are so full of rage it's almost suffocating.  
That's the funny thing about ghosts. In life, most of them as normal as you and me but in death they become obsessives. They must replay over their worst moments. Watching the bullet speeding towards their skull. The feel of the hands as they wrapped around their throats.

I stride quickly away from the small cemetery that houses so many and almost jump out of my skin as someone comes stomping through the trees. She freezes when she sees me. I ponder why for a moment apart from the obvious shock of seeing someone else this late and then realize she's the girl that Nikki attacked hours earlier. She begins to back away and I blurt something before she can dart like a terrified doe.  
"Wait!" I say and take her arm. She stares down at it for a while and then back up at me as if I've clapped irons around her tanned wrists. The girl gives me a contemptuous scowl, focusing hard on looking into my eyes. A headache springs near my temples. I wonder whether she's telepathic. My dad used to know a lot of telepaths. He used to say they were useful for the line of work he was in, as a kind of supernatural peace keeper and ambassador. I just thought they were creepy as hell. When I met my first telepath when I was six, a lady called Sapphire who I'm now very fond of, I lined the top of my baseball cap with tin foil. Hey, I was six and thought it would work, OK? "What are you doing here?"  
Again she regards me with a wide-eyed look, like she's ready to bolt at any minute. Then she suddenly snaps, "None of your business." She pulls her arm away like a master cracking a whip. My mouth springs open at the sudden movement and her eyes soften but only slightly.  
My eyebrows climb high. "I saved your life earlier. The least you could do is tell me why you're out here alone?" I cock my head to the side and her eyes narrow but out of humor and not suspicion. She doesn't respond, only gives me a tight smile.  
After assuming she won't crack I say. "Insomniac, huh?" that gains me a respectful smile and I smile, too. _Gotcha._ The girl sighs and shrugs as if she wants to tell me more. I can see it hidden behind those shadowed chocolate eyes.  
"Are you okay?" I ask. Her body language is all wrong, shifting from defensive to angry to confident to scared and confused in rapid succession.  
"Y-Yeah," she finally stammers, "I just have… no idea where I am."  
I give her a sideways look. "Then how did you get all the way out here?"  
She thinks fast and the lie comes with ease. "Things look different in daylight." The girl reminds me of a Beta I know. Ariadne Shotelle, a crazy Goth kid that hails from Louisiana. I'm more of a drifter than the rest of my pack and when Uriel isn't going around trying to challenge other Alphas I like to keep busy. Ariadne gives me names and faces when it comes to dealing with troublesome Omegas. She's good at running background checks and can work the crowds, too, gathering gossip and rumors on local haunts, ect.  
I remember how she keeps trying to get me down to the city. I wouldn't touch New Orleans with a ten-foot-pole. There are so many Omegas and wolf packs in that town that a lone Alpha like me wouldn't stand a chance. Not to mention the amount of under the table voodoo and dark magic that went on there. That and the place was as haunted as shit. New Orleans certainly liked its ghosts. Which meant it was a big no-no for my future vacationing plans.  
"Well where's your house?" I ask. She seems more relaxed now. Her features have softened but she's still got feisty body language. I do have to admit, she is pretty hot but hot girls are just another part of the job.  
She jolts her head vaguely east. "On the edge of forest," she's saying, "Where the town meets the woods." Wow. I don't know much about Beacon Hills but I'm pretty good at my geography and know that is far from where we are.  
"Can I walk with you?" This might be my chance to properly ask a local about the new Alpha. She might still be a little freaked at Nikki's insane and reckless behavior in the clearing earlier but she doesn't appear shaken by it or ruffled by me. But she does appear quite suspicious and more than a little tense.  
"Sure." She says but I can tell she doesn't want me to. I don't care. I need to know about Derek Hale.

"So…" I say after ten minutes of walking in stony silence. I catch better glimpses of her in the moonlight. She holds herself well and she knows the terrain well, too, never glancing down once to see where to put her feet. She's wearing a navy blue scarf with tassels that have become twisted in god knows what.  
"So?" she repeats snapping me out of my questions I glance up and frown at her. And then I realized I was about to ask a question.  
Instead of being gentle, I decide to plough right in there. "What do you know about Derek Hale?"  
She scowls at me and huffs. "Well, just about as much as everyone else does. He lost his family in a fire a couple years back and then about half a year ago his sister was killed. Derek came back to town and was a suspect in her murder for a while but the cops never found anything."  
I'm intrigued by this Derek character already. "Did they find her killer?"  
She frowns at me again, as if she was expecting me to gasp or ask about the rumors and legends but I'm a pretty plain guy and only want the facts. "No," she admits, "But they did find the woman they think killed his family."  
"Oh?" I perk at this. The girl told me he'd lost his family in a fire so I'd assumed it was a common accident. I should have known better. When it came to the paranormal everything was complicated and cryptic.  
I realize I still haven't introduced myself and give myself a mental kick. You don't just meet a stranger in the middle of the night and launch into a conversation without even knowing who each other are. "I'm Liam, by the way. Liam Bailey."  
She frowns for a moment then realization etches into those stunning features. "Oh. I'm Lily. Lily Anderson."  
I hold out my hand and she takes it and shakes. "So, who was the woman?" I prompt before we can detour off onto another topic. I hate it when that happens; it's damn annoying and takes forever for the subject to arise again.  
"Kate Argent." A ripple of disgust passes over me at the name. Argent. I hadn't heard that name in a _long_ time. My dad had a dream that one day he would get through to the Argents and make them stick to their code. _We hunt those who hunt us._ Yeah. Right. The Argents put on a fake chaired in front of others like my dad but I could believe they'd burn a whole family alive because they thought it would be the right thing to do. "Only they didn't exactly find her… in one piece."  
I smother my delight and try to look mildly interested or curious. "Really?"  
"Yeah," she continues looking slightly green, "They found her in the Hale house with her throat ripped out."  
"Do they know who did it?" I ask, more interested than ever.  
Lily shrugs the question off. "Not really," she says. Lily's got a certain look in her eyes, like she knows a lot more than she's letting on. As she says it a picket fence comes into view which reveals a well-cared for back yard. I thought it was stupid. Why did they need a fence and a groomed garden when they overlooked a forest?  
"This is my stop," she says as she reaches the gate. Lily turns back to me with a lopsided smile. "Thanks for walking me home, Liam. I'll- I'll see you around." It seems as though she's having a déjà vu moment. When you walk among wolves and hang out with ghosts like myself you learn to become very perceptive.  
"I'll see you, too." I say and I will. Lily isn't the kind of face that you can forget easily and call me crazy but I feel like I have unfinished business here. She's also a girl men do things for. Fight for. Steal for. Kill for. Maybe even die for.


	19. 19: Goodbye, my Isaac Lahey

**I'm sorry, I know it's gone more than a little Canon! (I get carried away, what can I say?!) and I promise, no more creatures. **

Lily's P.O.V:

_**Come to me. Come to me.**__  
Walking. Vegetation wrapping around my feet, begging me not to go further. I kick it off me in disgust.  
The Hayden House. The Hayden ruin. Foundations lay stripped and bare. _

_Something glints in the corner of my eye.  
__**Come to me. Come to me. Come to me. **__  
A shock of blonde fur. I stare down at a white coated, oceanic eyed wolf. It snarls.  
__**You're mine. **__  
I'm on the ground. Scarlet blood leaks onto foliage. I'm being torn apart. I should be panicking. I should be doing something._

_**I'll never be yours.  
**__So many faces have gathered. Watching. Accusing.  
_

_**Is this what you want, huh? You want to be a monster?  
**__Stiles. I recognize that 'huh?'  
__**Murder her. Rip her to shreds.  
**__Curly blonde hair that was swished violently with a convulsing body. Erica.  
__** You're making a mistake.  
**__Emotionless, yet, serious. Derek.  
__**Lily?  
**__ I'm dumbstruck. Who is this voice I can't place.  
__**Lily Anderson?**_

…_**Liam?  
**__Gore falls from my body and tumbles to the forest floor. Crimson distorts my vision as it painfully spurts against my face. _

I wake up screaming again. I've been doing that a lot recently. I glance at the clock though I can barely see. 4:37. I blink. I still can't see but I'm not concerned. My body aches as I swing my legs from the bed. Daylight is beginning to break ever so slightly over the horizon.  
Something tickles my feet; I stare down at a skinny Siamese with sky blue eyes. Most of the time, Romeo hates me so the only reason he's trying to comfort me is probably because he can sense my inner restlessness. I stare down at him and he glances back up at me with a knowing look and large, aqua eyes.  
"Got any advice for me?" I tickle his ear and he growls at me, I just shrug.  
"Meow," Romeo says.  
"Tru dat, cat." I respond as I open the cupboard door. I know this ploy. I pull out a tin of kitty chow and wave it in front of his damp little nose. Romeo bats me impatiently and hisses at me as I hold the can just out of reach.  
I peel back the lid and empty the reeking contents into a small plastic ditch that reads V.I.P or 'Very Important Puss'. Romeo gives me a curt nod, similar to what a master might do to a faithful servant, before tucking in.

"You stole my cat," A voice points out from the hall once Romeo has finished; I glance up at my cousin who moves swiftly to the fridge and pulls out a beer.  
I pick up Romeo who growls at me. "Here," I say, Romeo doesn't stop hissing until he is happily settled back in Andrew's arms. "Have him back."  
Andrew weakly salutes me with the edge of his beer bottle before padding bare-foot back upstairs with Romeo making loud purring noises of contentment.  
I grab the remote and pour myself a coffee. Looks like Aunt Jen hasn't got much sleep either. I switch the TV on and the news flashes up. Most of it is doom and gloom but I guess it's important to know about international affairs.  
The news is warning of a hurricane that might hit Haiti. It's brought strong winds and rain to the Virgin Islands already. The US weather people are calling it Hurricane Isaac. I scoff. Because Hurricane Isaac isn't about to hit Haiti. It's already here in California.  
I almost drop my coffee all over my legs. _Shit! Isaac!_ Is all my brain can muster.

I race to the porch and throw on my sneakers. I'm out the door before I can even think about maybe changing out of my pajamas. I can see better now. I have a vague awareness of where the Hayden House ruin is thanks to my little walk with the Alpha boy last night. I liked to think I was drunk on fear and that at any other time I wouldn't be that friendly with a member of the Alpha pack but Liam Bailey seems okay. He seems so human and kind it's hard not to like him. Liam's soft spoken and wonders off into the crevices of his mind as often as I do.

As I track through the forest, twisting brambles coated in harsh spikes tugging at the rims of my pajama pants, I can see the trees beginning to part, giving way for what was once a home to my ancestors. I ponder again a question I've been wondering for a while, who exactly gave me the witch gene? I have to assume it was the Hayden's because Aunt Jen is my dad's sister and a Chambers. So it had to have been my mom. But why did she never tell me? Unless, she never got the chance.  
I'm at the entrance to the basement. The oak that has survived hundreds of years of decay is now shattered in places like something has been trying to get out but the boulder I placed over it to keep Isaac in remains even if it is hanging off at a precarious angle. I attack it with my foot and it glides away effortlessly.  
I'm jogging down the winding staircase, it's pitch black and the only thing that fills the eerie silence is the occasional moan. "Isaac!" I'm repeating his name, each time more frantic than the next when he doesn't respond to my calling. "ISAAC!"  
He's slumped against a wall, his head hung low, chin drooping against his bare chest. I half-run, half-skid across the dusty, uneven floor. "Isaac? Speak to me, honey," I grab his head and force his to look at me. Isaac's face is drenched in sweat and he's breathing in cavernous, rattling gasps but somehow he manages to pull a smile across his face. I scowl at him. "What? What is it? Are you okay?"  
"It's funny how things turn out isn't it?" he sounds weird and it's beginning to disturb me. Maybe he hurt himself whilst I was away taking selfish walks in the forest with strange boys and having a conversation with a cat.  
"Frickin' hilarious," I mutter, unlocking the chains. Once I'm done with that painstaking task. I saddle him onto my shoulders. His bulk feels crushing and uneven on my shoulders but it will have to do. "Come on, we're going to see Derek."  
"Why?" he snaps, erecting himself. Isaac is still wobbling on his feet which is basically contradicting his argument. "I'm fine. I don't need Derek."  
I pull in a heaving breath. "Yes, you do. Forget everything I said before. You need Derek. You _need _the Pack."  
Isaac strokes my face, pushing hair of the deepest ebony from my cheek. I know what a wreck I must look like or, at least, I feel like. My hair feels greasy and tangled, my skin is oily and repulsive. I want to recoil away from him before he catches a whiff of my morning breath.  
"I don't need Pack," he whispers so close to my ear, a shiver runs through my entire body from the edges of my hair to the tips of my toes and seems to enter the ground somehow and run back up through Isaac. "I need you. I need the girl that stayed with me at my lowest point. I need the girl that was still in bed when I woke up in the morning. I need the girl who ran out in her hissing kitty pajamas to find me," he smirks and glances down at my body, examining it closely when tears form in the eyes that seem as clear as distilled water. "I need Lily Anderson."  
I wrap my arms around him, emotional momentum just allowing me to reach his shoulders and hang there. I stop after a while, he's already weak and I don't want him supporting all my weight.

Most of our time spent together isn't romantic at all; it's running from the bad guy, fighting villains, doing clean-up and generally putting our lives' - and criminal records – in danger. Like now. Once I had handed Isaac his clothes we get busy on the basement. We don't need to do too much because very few people know about the Hayden House ruin but you a can never be too careful.  
"What did you do down here?" I say, picking up a gnarled and bent chain that looks like it's been demolished from all angles.  
"Not important," he says once he's hidden the last of his destruction. "Who were you talking to last night?"

Isaac's P.O.V:

Lily looks a bit like a sheep now, all lip-biting and eyelash-batting. "Don't be mad," she reason's putting her hands forward in a defensive move. "But it was Liam. The Alpha you met yesterday-"  
My eyes bulge in their sockets. "Lily, what the f-!" I am genuinely so angry at her; I can barely contain myself from shouting.  
"Look. It was dark and you had flipped out on me," she spits in a rush, my eyes soften when I hear – and feel – the truth in her statement. "And I had no idea where I was so I stormed off. Then I met Liam and I didn't want to seem rude so I just said yes when he asked if he could walk me home…"  
I take her shoulders and can feel her shaking underneath me like I'm going to hit her or something even though I would _never_ do that. "Okay," I breathe, "Is that everything?"  
She bites her lip again and I sigh, my hand moving to my forward, rubbing it and then sweeping through my hair. "What did you do?"  
Lily seems a little hurt by my accusational tone but I don't have the effort to apologize. "He started asking all these questions… about Derek."  
I grab her shoulders so tightly that she winces under the force and tries to wriggle away. I keep her pinned under my grip. "What did you tell him?" my own eyes reflect back at me through her ebony ones. I seem betrayed. "Tell me, Lily!" I shake her and scream.  
"Nothing. Nothing! I swear." She responds, jolting away from my vice-like grabbing.  
Oh. What a dick. I realize my error too late, feeling bad for shouting in her face, and back off. She's stood in shock, weeping like a child. I want to comfort her but I have nothing to say.  
"I just told him," she says in tearful gasps once she's composed herself. Lily wipes furiously at the tears as if they're something to be ashamed about. "What everyone else knows. About the fire and about Laura. Common urban legends and whispers and that was all. I can't believe you think I'd betray you like that. Betray all of you after what you've done for me."  
Now I feel like an asshole. I should have known that Lily would stay loyal; she's proved herself so many times before. I can't blame this on my need to protect Derek as the Alpha. This goes deeper than that. For whatever reason, I don't trust her. I can see in her eyes that she trusts me sometimes but that's gone now. Right now, Lily looks terrified of me and why shouldn't she be. I saw what _he _did to her, the things he said.  
I don't like this feeling in my stomach. Like everything around me is crumbling. Erica and Boyd are missing, Derek doesn't trust me and now I've terrified and shocked the only girl I've ever really loved. The only girl that made me feel whole and keeps me sane.  
"I'm so sorry, Lily," I say, moving to hug her but she dodges it.  
Looking at her so defeated and upset breaks my heart into a million pieces. "Isaac, I love you. I love you so much it hurts when I'm not near you. Like I'm suffocating on dry land or drowning on air and all because you're not near me. So maybe that's the problem. Maybe I just love you too much to see you throw your life away with Derek and the other."  
The constricting feeling in my chest makes my heart want to explode. It's so tight that I can barely breathe. It makes tears leak from my eyes and sweat spring across my forehead. She's moving closer to me, stroking my face like I'm a newborn in need of love. I take her hand; it's so soft under my rough one. My hands are making desperate and distracted circles on her hips. "Please, Lily. Please don't do this. Please!" I'm practically shouting now but all she does is place her forehead against my stooped one and cry.  
"I can't be with you if you're in this life. I love you too much to make you chose so I'll make the choice for you." She presses her lips to mine and I grope at the sweet, soft skin. I never want to let her go. I want to be stuck in his moment, letting it replay it's self for all eternity. When she pulls away it's like she sucked my heart out through her mouth. And maybe she has.  
"I don't know how to let you go," she says, she's so close I can smell her scent that constantly clings to me now. The smell of chocolate and lavender mixed with the smell of a wild, new world she's been introduced to; woodsmoke, vegetation and my musk.  
"You don't have, too," I reply and put my hand through her hair, the messy waves seem less bouncy today as if they know her mood. "I'll wait for you. As long as it takes."  
"I can't make you do that," she replies, taking my other hand in hers.  
"I'll leave the Pack. I'll make it up to you and then I'll wait. Because _you will be mine. _I know it. I can feel it. I felt it ever since the Vet bonded us. I felt it ever since I looked into your eyes."  
Her mouth hangs open and she mutters wordlessly before sobbing onto my shoulder. I pull her into an embrace. "This is the hardest thing I've ever done. I want you to know that."  
"I already know," I can hear myself crying to but my body has gone numb like my heart. "I know you better than you know yourself."  
"And I know you she replies," and I can tell she's remembering the day in class when she ventured into my mind. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than you've already been hurt by so many people but I need to think about myself as well and I can't do this anymore. It's _killing_ me," As if to prove a point, thick scarlet begins to trail from her nose. She wipes it on her hissing kitty pajamas.  
Lily presses her lips to mine but its brief, barely above a brush of the lips. "Goodbye, _my_ Isaac Lahey."


	20. 20: Simple Finding Spells

**One week later…**

**Lily's P.O.V**

With Isaac still pissed at me and everyone else ignoring my calls, I found myself stuck in the house with only Romeo as company but even his round turquoise eyes stare up at me accusingly.  
"You'll have to face him sooner or later," Andrew keeps telling me as he opens the door for the billionth time. I have a mild feeling of wanting to ram his beer bottle down his throat. Oh, and just a little tip for you guys – DO NOT have a phone fight with your ex-boyfriend when your cousin is in the house. "I mean, you've got class with him, haven't you?"  
That was true but Isaac hadn't turned up recently. It was Wednesday tomorrow, the one week anniversary of our break-up. "I told you," I said through swollen eyes. My lips were trembling and I hated myself for it. I kept trying to convince myself I had done the right thing but I couldn't stop crying over it. "I'm working up the courage."  
"Okay," Andrew said skeptically, "Let me know when you're done hermitting."  
Andrew collapsed onto the chair next to the couch I was lying across. I shot him a dirty look and he gave me a once over, looking at the bag of sodden tissues and back up to my face. I could feel the mascara and concealer had come free due to my tears and clumped against my face in messy tracks. I stroked Romeo some more. "Jesus, Lily. You're a complete wreck," he shook his head solemnly and slid, rather boneless for his size, onto the couch. Andrew kicked my legs off and Romeo hissed at him. "Look. I was never… okay with you and Lahey but it's obviously it's got you pretty torn up. Maybe you two should try and make-up… or I can kick his ass for you-?"  
I gave him a shaky laugh. "Maybe some other time, Mike Tyson."  
Andrew shot me the finger but it was half-hearted. "Why don't you get out?" he quizzes me, "Go meet up with Allison or Stiles or someone."  
"Yeah." I reply as an idea comes to me, I'm so excited I almost yelp but manage to smother it. I do have something to do after all. It came to me when Liam was asking me all those questions. I'm going to research the Hale family at the library, trace them back and look for any leads as to why the Alpha pack was in Beacon Hills. "Yes! Andrew you're a genius!"  
"I know," he says and takes another sip of his beer with a frown. "It's one of my many titles. What are you so happy about?"  
"I have an idea," I grin and whip out my phone. I type 'S' and hit the first contact that comes up. Andrew shakes his head like he just doesn't _get_ me.

**Stiles' P.O.V:**

It was noon when Lily rang. Scott had blown me off to go stalk Allison some more. Apparently, a new relative was in town and Allison wanted Scott to check them out. Yeah. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. There was obviously something going on there. Again.  
Whilst everyone else was getting action – even Lydia and Jackson – I was forever alone. So, when a pretty girl like Lily Anderson was ringing me, I wasn't going to ignore the call.  
"Hey, Lil'," Was that okay? Where we good enough friends to use nicknames yet? Well, whatever Lily thought about it – if she noticed at all – she kept to herself.  
"How would you like to come and do some detective work with me?" Lily asked and I almost fell off my stool. I was fumbling, words twisting in my tongue. In one way, the idea of being plunged into more werewolf trouble without a little break time was irritating but on the other hand it seemed like _a lot_ of fun. "Well?"  
"Sure," I blurted. "Aw. Crap. I mean, yeah, what do you need me to do?"  
Lily laughed that giggle that spellbound those around her. "We're going to investigate the Hale family. I'm trying to find out why those Alphas are in Beacon Hills and I know it has something to do with Derek, I just don't _know_ know yet. Meet me at the library in an hour.

Lily was five minutes late. I even counted the minutes to her arrival I was that nervous. I was expecting Derek to swoop on us at any minute and demand to know why we were looking into his family even though he would have no way of knowing why we were really at the library.  
Lily can over with a slight spring in her step. She looked exhausted. Under the thick concealer and beautifully applied make-up were the tell-tale signs of tired and sadness alike. "What's wrong?" I asked immediately.  
"Oh…" she said a little hesitantly, "…Me and Isaac, we- we…. Broke up."  
"Oh, Lily," I rubbed a hand through my buzz-cut and the spiky hair bit into my hand convincing me I hadn't just been happy to hear that piece of news. True, Isaac was an ass but then again Lily liked him and Lily was my friend. "Lily, I'm so sorry."  
Her eyes were downcast we she answered. "Yeah," she whispered, "Yeah, I am too."  
Lily glided past me and began walking towards the library so I took it as my cue to follow. The library was practically deserted, which was the usual for the Beacon Hills one and only library. Most people preferred the quaint little bookshop tucked between the records store and the diner. The usual stragglers were there, the geeks, nerds, bookworms and bloggers with their eyes glued to computer screens or attached to books. I thought Lily came in a lot because she seemed totally at home here as she sat down at a table near the large windows, unlike me, who fumbled awkwardly in the seat and got a mucky look from an aging librarian.  
"Right," Lily whispered, leaning forward, "So, I'll go to reference and look at Beacon Hills's history see if I can dig up any clues. You go and ask for records containing any names like Hale, Derek Hale, Peter Hale or Laura Hale."  
"What?" I asked suddenly, "Why me?"  
"Because you'll look less suspicious…"  
"…._How?_"  
"Well, you know," she gave me a look as if I should know what she was talking about by now, "You…and Derek…you- spend a lot of time together and…"  
My eyes narrowed at her. "And what?"  
"Well," she continued and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "People, may have- begun to get the impression that," Lily ran a hand through her hair and laughed. "It's quite silly really but- some people may think that… you and Derek are in a…._relationship-?"_  
I made a retching noise in the back of my throat at the revelation. I didn't care that the librarian was glaring at me over her horn rimmed glasses, the trying-to-be-cool computer dweebs were staring at me or that Lily was desperately trying to get me to shut up. That was just…_Ugh._ "Seriously?" I replied, shivering, "why couldn't it have been an ugly girl instead of a guy? _Oh my God!"  
_ "Just go do research!" Lily said eventually, pushing me from my seat. "Go!"

**Lily's P.O.V:**

I had a mountain of books in front of me and half of them held nothing valuable. My hope was beginning to diminish as Stiles clicked boredly away at the computer, got excited and then slumped again. Then I remembered a spell I'd seen in the book that I'd barely glanced at recently. It was a finding spell and a pretty simple one. All you had to do was imagine what you wanted and then say _inveniat eam, invenire invenire nunc_ and the name of whatever you needed. I shut my eyes and concentrated.  
"_Inveniat eam, invenire invenire nunc Derek Hale."_ I repeated over and over. With my eyes closed, I was guided through the library to where a book fell. I picked it up and opened my eyes. It had a sort of spiral on it but there were three of them instead of just one and they were joined together at a mid-point. It reminded me of a trinity only more curly. I carried the book back to the table like a new born infant and called Stiles over.  
"Oh my god," he whispered, "That's a triskelion, sort of like a spiral. We saw a single one over Laura's grave. It was the werewolf symbol of revenge. I think Boyd told me this one means: Alpha, Beta and Omega."  
The book seemed to have its own energy coming from it. It made the air around the two teens stale and made the hairs all over their bodies stand on end. It had an ominous power, a dark power that my witch side could sense like the smell of wet dog in the air. "Open it," Stiles urged me. Only, I didn't want to open it. I could feel the menace and warning pulsating from it. Clearly, this book was not meant for mortal – or witch – hands. But I had been lead to it so that had to mean something right? I plucked up the courage and closed my eyes tight wanting for the inevitable terrible thing to happen…..

… but when I opened them nothing happened. Instead, I was staring down at an ancient manuscript, maybe one or two hundred years old. It was written in another language, too, and I huffed at the page.  
"It's in Romanian," Stiles commented from behind my shoulder, "I can read it."  
"You?" I said skeptically, "Know Romanian."  
"I've got cousins in Bucharest," he replied as if I'd asked a totally unreasonable question, "And, hello, my name if 'Stiliniski'"  
"I just thought you were Polish," I replied, flicking through the ancient pages. I couldn't understand the words but the illustrations of people killing giant wolves and giant wolves killing children were enough to tell me this was no ordinary novel.  
"I am, on my mom's side. My dad's great-grandfather came from Romania," he informed me.  
I gave him a scowl. "Riiiiiiiiiiiiight."  
"It's true, I even- WAIT! Go back!"  
I looked down at the book again, I couldn't see anything remarkable. "What?"  
"Just- trust me."  
I obeyed, and kept flicking until her told me to stop again. Four wolf people stared back from the faded pages. They seemed to be looking right at you, right into your eyes. Stiles began to read the writing. "The Old Ones," he began, "More commonly known as the Alpha Pack are a Coven of Alfas' known for their brutality and cruelty throughout the ages. They are vârcolaci – that means werewolf by the way – and will challenge any Alfa they may meet to join them or die. They are also dedicated to eradicating Betas and Omegas and will liquidate anyone or thing they see as unworthy including vrăjitoare, forma schimbă and oameni …"  
I frowned at him. "What? What do those last words mean?" Stiles seemed very far off and that worried me. "Stiles? Stiles! What does it mean?"  
"It means," he practically snarls. "Witches, shape shifters and humans. It also means," he said pointing to the rest of the page. "We know their secrets."


	21. 21: H20S04

**Lily's P.O.V:**

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, Liam Bailey and the wild red-head that had attacked me in the forest showed up at school. It had been a long day and I was uncharacteristically lethargic. Normally, I'd be jumping in my seat to answer questions about the Civil War and Hyperbole and Biochemistry but today I wanted to curl in a ball or just become invisible. I was even tempted to put my headphones in during calculus which I usually enjoyed.  
So when the Alphas had turned up in chem lab, you can expect I wasn't at all enthusiastic.  
"Good morning, class," Mr. Harris said once the newbies took their seats "Please! Please! One at a time. Now, we have two new students whom I'm sure you'll all be extremely welcoming to."  
Nikki shot me a malicious smile and I resisted the urge to give her the finger. Luckily, I'd been assigned to Isaac – who was still pissed – and Stiles – who couldn't stop whispering about the book, no matter how many warning looks I gave him. So basically, I was screwed. But hey, at least I didn't have to entertain the new bitch. Ha-ha, bitch.

I also felt bad about Delilah. I'd neglected to call or speak to her at all for two whole weeks and she was still freaked about Olivia just leaving, no help from me. Yep, I was a shitty friend. I admit it. And I was beginning to think that that was the price you paid for knowing the things I do in Beacon Hills.

I was thankful there wasn't much tension from Isaac, in fact, he didn't seem angry that much at all really but he was still ignoring me.  
I was beginning to relax now and actually enjoying what I was doing. Me and Stiles had a mini-domestic about the right way to apply an alkali to the solution whilst Isaac bickered on. "Hey," he said, in an undertone actually acknowledging me. "Does any of this stuff blow up?"  
"Only if you do it wrong." Stiles replied before I could answer.  
"I'm thinking more practical applications. Bombs. Stuff like that."  
I saw Stiles visibly roll his eyes as I yelped, "Isaac!" God, he really was distracting. Stiles slapped his hand as he reached for the re-agents – which had nothing to do with what we were doing – as I tried to focus on the details of the experiment.

All three of us – the wolf, the witch and the human – were concentrating so hard and were so engrossed in the experiment we didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind us.  
The first thing I knew about it was a precise, searing pain down the left side of my back. I dropped the beaker I was holding, sending alkali cascading across the table and screamed – couldn't help it because, oh _fuck!_ That hurt! – and Isaac whirled, grabbing someone who was backing away.  
It was Nikki, the Alpha girl. She snarled and punched him square in the nose – which had to hurt because she was an Alpha and he was a Beta - but Isaac didn't let go.  
I was twisting, gasping in pain and trying to work out what was going on with my back. Mr. Harris came rushing over and the other students started realizing there was something wrong; or at least something more interesting than lab work.  
I tried to angle my body at a mirror to see what was going on because it _hurt._ I smelt something terrible. "Oh my God!" Harris blurted which wasn't at all comforting. What was also unsettling was the fact that the beaker Nikki had been holding wasn't even half-empty. Allison, thinking fast, snatched the bottle of water off Harris's desk and dumped the contents over my back as Harris rushed to the supply closet. He came back with a box of backing soda. I heard a sizzle when it hit my skin and almost blacked out. "Here. Sit. Sit down. McCall! Ring for an ambulance. Go!"  
As I sank breathlessly into another stool, a lower one, Harris grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through my shirt, folded it aside and sliced my bra straps. I just managed to grab it before the whole thing slid down.  
I tried not to cry and failed; settling for weak sobs and biting my lip until I tasted blood.  
"It was an accident!" Nikki cried, standing on her tiptoes as Isaac twisted harder. "I tripped! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it…"  
"We're not working with H20S04 today," Harris said grimly, "You've got no reason to be walking round with it. Lily? How bad is the pain?" I forced myself to look away from Isaac and Nikki and caught Liam's eye instead He was stood next to resident mean girl, Lydia who actually seemed genuinely worried for me which I guess must be a new thing for her. Liam looked furious… and dangerous. Red tinted his eyes.  
"I – it's okay. I feel fine." But truthfully I didn't know how I felt. The pain eased slightly as the baking soda did it's work. _Acid has a low PH; baking soda has a high one…_ Well, at least I had some grasp of chemistry even now.  
Yet I still felt suffocated, sick, cold and light-headed. Shock, probably. Like the feeling I'd got when Olivia had stabbed me. And embarrassment because God, I was half-naked in the middle….Shit. _The scars. _Well, of course this day had to be pushed to the largest level of bad there was. "Can I put something on, sir?"  
"No you can't let anything touch that. The burn is through several layers of skin. It'll need treatment. Just, sit still." Harris turned to Isaac and Nikki and leved a finger at the girl, "You're talking to the police. I don't care if it's your first day; I will not tolerate that kind of attack in my classroom. And I don't care _who _your friends are!"  
So he knew. Or at least he knew enough. "Lily," Stiles whispered at a safe distance. "Why aren't you healing?"  
"We don't heal from burns," I said through gritted teeth "Why do you think they used to burn witches at the stake?"  
Isaac was whispering something bellow human and witch hearing level to Nikki, but, it couldn't be good, by the look on the girl's face.  
"Sir?" I asked faintly. "Can I have a make-up on the lab work? And-"  
And then I passed out before I could add, _and I'm sorry for the mess._


	22. 22: Invite Me In

**Lily's P.O.V:**

When I woke up, I was lying on my side and warm all over. Sleepy. Blinking, I realized someone was sitting next to me. I tried to rub my bleary eyes but the sudden movement sent pain rippling through my body. So, I just sat there and waited. Eventually my eyes adjusted and I was staring into the face of Stiles Stiliniski. Stiles was in my bedroom? Wait, this wasn't my bedroom…..  
"Emergency room," Stiles said as I peered at him through half-closed eyelids. I felt oddly weightless like I was hovering just above the hospital bed. "Damn, Lily. Warn a guy before you face plant the floor, I could have looked all heroic and caught you."  
I tried to sit up but I couldn't even prop myself onto my elbows without agony radiating from my left shoulder blade. "Everyone was too pre-occupied with Nikki," it sounded funny when she spoke so she said it again, "Neeeeeeeeekkiii."  
"Yep," Stiles replied, giving me an amused grin. "You're as high as a kite."  
"Isaac?" I quizzed. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been getting a bit too intimate with Nikki. I knew he had been nearly about to deck his prisoner but seeing him that close to a pretty girl…  
"Right here," Isaac said as Stiles huffed. He came into view and I almost gasped, he looked exhausted and defeated, not a good look for him.  
I scowled at him. "What happened?" I asked immediately. There might be nothing wrong but it was better safe than sorry.  
"Erica and Boyd," he ran a hand through his hair in a distracted way. I actually thought he was about to cry. "They were attacked. By the Alpha pack. They're not healing properly at all- and…" he trailed off, seeming very far away. I wanted to give him a hug but I couldn't will my body off the bed.  
"I'm so sorry." And I was. Because despite Erica trying to kill me on several occasions, she was still my friend. Okay, so we weren't BFF's; OMG, TBH, LOL! We had a mutual…understanding and a respect that was hard to explain but undoubtedly there.  
He responded as if I hadn't even spoken. "They called your aunt, by the way."  
It took me a little while to realize what he'd just said. "Aunt?" I replied and tried to lift my head. "Oh. Ow. Not good."  
"Not so much. You're aunt and cousin were pretty freaked to find out that you'd become a lab accident but the cops conveniently forgot to mention-"  
"No, he didn't!" Stiles snapped, almost jumping in his seat to defend his father. "They didn't have any evidence to say it was purposeful!"  
"Whatever," Isaac said, casually dismissing him, "The fact is they didn't tell them that Nikki threw acid all over you or that you had to go to the hospital. So you're folks just think it was one of those funky accidents."  
"Was it?" I asked, "Accidental?"  
Stiles snorted. "No way. She meant to hurt you."  
I plucked at the ugly blue hospital gown that hung off my shoulders. "Killed my shirt."  
"Yeah, pretty much," Isaac said absently. He looked pale and tense. "I've been trying to reach people. I rung Scott and told him you were okay, he'll pass it onto Allison. Derek's on his way. I don't know if you want me to call anyone-?"  
"Delilah," I said instantly, "Call Delilah. Tell her I'm sorry for blowing her off and tell her to call me so we can meet up later or something. Tell her… tell her I miss her."  
Isaac nodded without saying anything. "I don't want to leave you here alone-" Stiles began, he obviously had somewhere important to be.  
"I'm OK," I said softly behind closed eyes.  
"It's okay, Stiles," Isaac told him, "I'll watch her."  
I didn't see the rest of the exchange, too tired to bother to open my eyes. I thought I felt Stiles's hand on my hair, a second of light, sweet pressure. "Yeah," he replied. "You're okay. I'll be here when you wake up."  
Once I heard Stiles close the door, I sighed and said. "Isaac?" he gave me a grunt of recognition so I plunged on. "I wish we hadn't broken up."  
There was tense moment of silence before Isaac said, "You don't mean that."  
"But, I do," I whispered. "I really do."  
"You're just high," he reasoned, "When you wake up, you won't remember this conversation."  
"I love you," I slurred and then everything faded into a lemony-yellow haze like I was lying on sunlight.

Ouch.  
Getting up was _not_ fun. No hazy yellow druggy sunlight. This was more like a blowtorch burning on the left side of my shoulder blade. I whimpered and buried my head into my pillow, trying to run from the pain, but it chased in a rapid pursuit.  
The drugs had worn off.  
I blinked, whimpering and slowly sat up. A passing nurse, Mrs. McCall, I realized suddenly stopped and came in to check me over. "It's been a while since we saw you here, Lily," she said with a weak smile flicking through her charts, "You're doing well. The burn is going to hurt for a while but it should get better if you stick to your meds and keep the wound clean. You were really brave, sweetheart." I nodded, not sure I could actually speak without throwing up. Hell, I wanted to claw at the burn until I ripped all the skin free and destroyed the nerves so I couldn't feel a damn thing. My whole side felt uncomfortably hot and bruised.  
"Do you want to get down?"  
Nodded again, barely keeping the bile down. Mrs. McCall helped me from the bed and handed me my clothes when I asked for them. The bra was a totally loss and had bits of skin sickeningly melted to it. There wasn't much left of the shirt either. Mrs. McCall came back with a plain black t-shirt from lost and found and a beaten pair of jeans, getting me presentable. The doctor came back in and gave me a quick once over. From the brisk way they dispensed me, a little battery acid burn was barely worth working up a sweat about, at least in Beacon Hills with werewolves, witches, kanimas and god knows what else running amok.  
"How bad is it?" I asked as Isaac wheeled me through the halls to the exit. "I mean, is it like, really gross?"  
"Unbelievably gross," he said. "Horror movie slasher gruesome."  
"Oh God."  
He relented. "It's not that bad, really. It's about the size of a dime. Harris did a good job of chopping your clothes and washing it off. I know it hurts like hell, but it could have been a lot worse."  
I knew he was telling the truth. There had been a lot more in the beaker in Nikki's hand. "Do you… do you think she was going to-?"  
"Pour it all over you? Hell yes. She just didn't have time." Wow. That was… unpleasant. A sudden rush of sickness flooded my body and made me feel hot and vulnerable. "We have to be more careful. The cops had to let her go but she'll be after you again."  
I covered my mouth as Isaac rolled me up to the automatic double glass doors. It was dark. And the parking lot and ambulance bay were deserted "Oh," I said, and covered my mouth. "Oh no."  
"Yeah, well, we've got transpo covered, at least," he gestured to the ambulance bay where a Camaro was illegally parked, flanked by a beat up old Jeep. "Ready?"  
I nodded and suddenly Isaac accelerated the chair into a flat-out run. I yelped and grabbed the handles, feeling utterly out-of-control as the chair bounced its way down the ramp and skidded to a halt just inches away from the shiny black door of Derek's car. The Alpha threw the passenger door open and I tried to get up on my own but Isaac grabbed me around the waist and practically threw me into the car. It took mere seconds for the werewolves to sort out their cargo, and then Isaac kicked the wheelchair back towards the ramp where is smashed into the railing and sat there, looking lost. Isaac dived in the back. "Son of a bitch," Derek muttered and I followed his eye line to see red hair gleaming in the heavy glare of the streetlight.  
"Punch it!" Isaac yelled and Derek did, slamming the accelerator to the floor and squealing away with the sound of tortured rubber. I struggled to find some seatbelt setting that wouldn't reduce me to tears. I settled for hunching forward and bracing myself against the expensive dashboard, as Derek peeled from the parking lot and raced down the darkened street. It all looked eerie and threatening. The moon had hidden itself behind the clouds and the streetlights looked way too far apart.  
"Are you okay?" Derek asked softly, as he slowed the car a little. I could feel myself shaking all over but I didn't know whether it was from the cold air blasting out of the AC, the pain or just my fear of the Alpha girl lurking in the shadows. "I don't mean physically. All this must be weighing down pretty hard on you." He shot a look at Isaac and I caught his meaning. The two wolves held the look for a while before Derek turned his attention back to the road.  
"I- I don't know. It's been a crazy, crazy month," I replied. I really didn't know how to sum up my experience because they were just so many words to use and so many emotions colliding with each other that… it was just _too much._  
I stared out the window, or at least tried to, wincing and grimacing the entire time. Once we began to pull away from the residential areas of the town and approach the edge of the forest, I expected for them to drop me off at home but soon my house was disappearing from view.  
"Where are we going?" I asked, and noticed how far off I was. I should have cared that we were passing my house but I didn't. I felt strangely detached.  
"Hale house." Isaac responded, "It's safer there."  
_Is it?_ The Hale house was ruin. A building that stood awkwardly in the forest and barely supported its inhabitants. It had seen horrors of watching a family burn to seeing a woman get her throat ripped out to being forced to watch teenagers' skins tear and bones snap.  
We pulled up outside and the two wolves did a count. Isaac jumped from the backseat and swung me into his arms. I screamed but he ran, Stiles and Derek following close behind and got me across the threshold just as talons swiped at me. They caught my hair and tugged. Hard. I shrieked and Isaac kicked out, swatting the Alpha girl away. She prowled in the doorway.  
"Invite me in," she snarled. "Or I'll kill you all."


	23. 23: You and I'll be Safe and Sound

**Links 2 The Acoustic Songs **Youtube***:**

**Starships: watch?v=VuzaGMrasB8**

**It Girl: watch?v=88OKVBKbNN0**

**Safe and Sound: watch?v=i87fb0evp-4**

**Isaac's P.O.V:**

"Not a hope in hell, sister!" I yelled, slamming the door in her face. Nikki's screams ricocheted against the ruin of the house like bullets, her fists vibrated against the wood but recoiled off none the less and her kicks seemed to rock the foundations.  
Lily slid to her feet and winced as a fresh ache moved through my body. The girl continued to riot outside but didn't attempt to smash a window or force her way in, at least, not yet. Lily seemed to sense the grimace on my face before it passed.  
"Oh crap," she exclaimed, raising a hand to cracked lips. Her breathing was hoarse and raged. She was almost shaking with a mixture of pain, contempt and anger. "The bond. I'm sorry, I forgot."  
"It's nothing." I snarled, surprised at how rough my voice sounded. Lily's lips quivered as if she was going to say something and then rethought it. She was being secretive, the thoughts whispering her astral voice in the back of my head, just out of reach. She moved away from me, going into the living room before I could stop her. Lily's whimpers filled the silence as she observed what had already sickened me. I moved to join her and she instinctively grabbed my wrist. She didn't let go when I stared down at it and I made no attempt to untangle her fingers that clutched at the skin with an unwavering pressure.  
Erica and Boyd were strewn across the furniture. Boyd was propped onto his elbows slightly in a bedraggled armchair; his face was Technicolor with purple, yellow and black bruises. His lip, nose and right eye had swelled to the size of golf balls. All the skin that wasn't covered by heavy leather was coated in a rainbow of bruises and breaks. He lifted his hand to wave at Lily and attempted to smile but it made his lip split and bleed.  
And then there was Erica.  
She still hadn't woken up. She'd been passed out with the pain for a day now. Erica stirred feebly as if sensing a human presence in the room. She, too, was multicolored but fractures and breaks reinforced the discoloring. Her femur had broken the skin and stuck out at an awkward and gory angle. Even before our eyes, the bone was shifting and trying to regenerate the skin, blood and bones. Her entire face was beaten so she was barely recognizable. Scratches and bite marks had ripped through clothes and skin alike although more so on Erica.  
"What-?" Lily stuttered as Stiles went over to Erica and pushed flaxen hair off her face. She looked so vulnerable and defeated. A tear tracked down her face and her hand scuttled so it was near Stiles before giving out.  
"Alphas." Derek growled. All anger he'd held against Erica and Boyd's disappearing act had vanished into a mask of fury. Lily pushed her sleeves up and tied back her hair with a band that fluttered lightly against her slim wrist.  
"What are you doing?" I asked, pulling a puzzled face. She takes Boyd's hand and I instinctively know what she's about to do. "No! Lily! Don't!"  
An amber glow speeds up her arm, covering each piece of tanned skin in black bruises. The agony is like a punch in the face, her head actually snapping back from an invisible blow. Her legs buckle and she's lying in a fetal position, gasping for air and retching blood. I fall on my side, gripping the wall for dear life; I can barely suck in a breath without a ripple of soreness smacking my chest. Everyone seems frozen in time, unsure of what to do. The bruises were healing pretty well across Lily's skin but she was still trying to vomit. I gripped her and yanked her up by the forearm Lily gasped and cringed as I hit a particularly nasty bruise. My face was so close to her I could see the blood vessels stinging in her eyes.  
"What the hell did you do that for? Are you trying to get yourself killed!" Now, any other girl might have recoiled at the force of my yell but Lily planted two hands on my chest and shoved. Even the slightest pressure sent me careering backwards into the already unsafe house. I smacked against a wall and breathe rushed out of my lungs.  
"I was doing the right thing," she whispered back, "so I'm sorry if helping others is so bad. But I _had_ to."  
_That's why I love you._ I didn't vocalize the sentiment and tried to jumble up the phrase so she might not telepathically understand but something told me she heard. A flicker of hope passed over her face and her lips moved wordlessly for a second.  
Stiles looked shocked; his entire expression was slack and passive. Derek hovered between mild interest and boredom.  
"I'm sorry," I grunted, limping to my feet. The pain was like a bullet embedded in the back of my brain that I just couldn't reach. Boyd shot up in his seat as if he'd just awoken from a horrific nightmare.  
He coughed a few times. "What happened?" he croaked.  
Derek rolled his eyes. "It's a long story."

**Lily's P.O.V:**

Eventually, Nikki's blows subsided and silence once again crashed into the Hale House. The house had received a few renovations like a generator hooked up to the electricity circuit or what was left of it, seeing as though the fire had supposedly been caused by an 'electric malfunction'. But now there was the new speculation that it was in fact Kate Argent who caused it purposefully. I was sat with my head leaning against the couch.  
I'd wriggled free of my sleeping bag. I had no idea how I was going to explain this to Jennifer and I had had to force Andrew to cover for me because he at least knew a little. Hopefully, Aunt Jen was too preoccupied with the shop - the back-too-late and up-too-early - routine she usually had to bother with her stupid little niece.  
The house was silent. Derek was out trying to recover Peter. Stiles was snoring softly next to a comatose Erica and Boyd was resting off the rest of the pain. Isaac appeared to be a sleep, curled up with a hand covering his face like a puppy. Ha-ha. Puppy.  
But he did look remarkably cute. As I observed, he flinched in his sleep the way a dog did when it slept. _Aww! _  
"You know," he said, the hand slipping to reveal an open oceanic eye. "if you keep calling me cute then I will be forced to kill you."  
"Yeah, yeah." I said, brushing off his bluff. "Hey," I said pointing to an instrument tucked in the corner. "Is that a guitar?"  
"Yeah," he replied absently as I sneaked over to the shinning instrument. The pick lay on a dresser near the window. I picked up both items and strummed a few strings. They sounded a bit out of tune so I retuned it before plucking a few more. The music it produced sounded good enough. "It's Erica's. Or Boyd's. I think."  
"Hey," I said, rousing Stiles from his sleep. "You wanna song?"  
"You can play guitar?" Stiles said skeptically. Sometimes being freak smart did come with its disadvantages. One was the fact no one ever believed me when I said I really could play guitar.  
I began trying to recall a few songs I knew off by heart on my guitar. The truth was, I had barely played it the past few months and I desperately needed to brush up my skills. I strummed the acoustic version of 'Starships'. _"Now everybody let me hear you say ray ray ray. Now spend all your money 'cause they pay pay pay. And if you're a G, you a G, G, G! My name is Liliana, you can call me Lily!" _I sang rather loudly before dropping my voice to a whisper.

**Stiles's P.O.V:**

Lily had a beautiful voice. So melodic and fluent that it seemed almost heavenly. Her acoustics where brilliant, too, never falling out of tune or skipping a note. She kept flicking through songs with Isaac.  
"…No." Isaac sighed again as Lily rolled her eyes.  
"Okay," she said, tuning the guitar for the fifth time. "How about: _I've been looking under rocks and breaking locks,_ _just trying to find ya._ _I've been like a manic insomniaaa-aac,_ _5 steps behind ya._ _Tell them other girls, they can hit the exit_ _Check please..._ _Cause I finally found the guy of my dreams._ _Much more than a Grammy award_, _t__hat's how much you mean to me."_ Wow, despite being a great sung version of the 'It Girl' that I detested but it also hit a nerve in Isaac. A big one.  
"No." he spat and for a second, I thought he was going to fly at the instrument and smash it. Lily looked crestfallen and huffed, sweeping Midnight hair from her face. It stuck for a moment then fell out of place again.  
"Okay," she finally cried. "_Just close your eyes,__  
__The sun is going down__  
__You'll be alright__  
__No one can hurt you now__  
__Come morning light__  
You and I'll be safe and sound  
__Don't you dare look out your window darling,__everything's on fire;__The war outside our door keeps raging on…  
__Hold onto this lullaby__  
__ Even when the music's gone  
Just close your eyes  
The sun is going down  
You'll be alright  
No one can hurt you now  
Come morning light You and I'll be safe and sound  
__Just close your eyes__  
__You'll be alright__Come morning light  
__You and I'll be safe and sound...__  
Oooooo, OoooOooo, Oooooo, OoooOooo, Oooooo, OoooOooo, __Oooooo, OoooOooo, Oooooo, OoooOooo, Oooooo, OoooOooo..."_

Wow. That was just…. Mind blowing. I stuffed back the shameful tears trying to burst from my eyes as the front door splintered open.


	24. 24: Who? Who Are You Really?

** To all those concerned about the plot or the past few chapters I did not realize it bore any resemblance to other peoples' work and any content from any writing is purely coincidental.**

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**Lily's P.O.V:**

Faded moonlight and racing shadows in the dark can play havoc in the human mind. This is what I used to be scared of as a little girl. The suffocating feeling that envelops you when you hear scuttling in silence or the creak of a floorboard in an empty house; the terror of being awake at night whilst those around you slumber, when something appears to move in the corner of your vision. Your mind races with the ideas of stretching blackness, murderous spirits and evil demons. But all it is the natural noises of old houses and bad interior design. Or so they try to make us think. Our parents suffocate us with the pressures of school, exams, relationships and our teenage lives that we forget all about the things that haunted our nightmares and made us wet our beds. But when our parents are gone, the smoke lifts and you're left standing in the rumble wondering how you could have been so blind as to not see the real evil before our eyes.

The first time Jen worked late and Andrew went out to get himself comatose I couldn't convinced some furious being would latch onto my wrist with a rotting, peeling hand and drag me straight to hell.  
Now I had a real threat to deal with like the piece of wood racing towards my head at barely possible speeds, all those things seemed childish.  
I only had time to flinch as it chased me which probably saved my life. I felt the air being sliced and push me back as freshly cut wind smashed my cheek. The bark embedded into a far wall, causing the house to stutter on its foundations. I think you could guess who it is without me having to tell you. But Nikki's not alone; she's got a kid with her, older than us, maybe a college kid. He puts two feet across the foothold briefly and before Isaac can push him out, he says, "Come in, Nikki." The boy is sent careering from the house, head cracking against the porch steps. Nikki doesn't seem concerned. Instead she crosses the threshold with a triumphant smile.  
"Don't be sad," she said with a mock pout, "It's for the best. Our leader is a _very_ bad man. He would make you suffer."  
The two betas where so focused on the Alpha threat in front of them, they didn't see a shadow creeping from the shadows. I spun rapidly and my arms flexed outward in an electrifying embrace. Lightning spun, careering off the walls and awry. This wasn't supposed to happen. My aim had always been crap but not _that _bad. I sensed something else wrong here.

My vision swam and more a moment I was seeing nothing but red light flashing at the back of my eyes, obscuring everything. I heard my name being called by several people but it was more interrupting than hearing, really. I'd lost all feeling in my body and when my vision finally cleared I realized I was curled on the floor. A fight was pursing all around me and I was being used as a sort of battering ram to trip up an opposing force.  
"Come out you coward!" I shrieked at the air. To a normal person or perhaps even a werewolf I would have looked like a demented lunatic but I could feel magic rising from a darkened part of the Hale House in vapors and I had to investigate, despite the fact that Boyd and Isaac – who had transformed into a hideous hybrid shape – needed my help. But what could I do? I was one witch. No, not even that, I wasn't pure or full-blooded. I was a rogue. I was hated by my kind.  
I pushed the door to the living room open as casually as if I was in my own home – minus the snarling wolves and cowering Stiles. Erica, miraculously, was somehow still asleep despite the chaos.

And the two Hales'?

They were nowhere to be seen. "Lock this door," I commanded Stiles, pointing to the piece of wood I'd just come through. "Then lock the other once I get into the kitchen."  
"But-" Stiles began with a nervous lip bite. He couldn't seem to finish that sentence. I know he was going to ask why I wasn't helping or maybe tell me I was a fool for not hiding.

Maybe he was right. I'd finally lost it after everything that had happened in such a short space of time. But I had to do it. I could see the magical interferences and smell it the way a predator might smell prey. With excitement, apprehension and a twinge of fear. "Just do it." I replied in a tired tone, "Please?"  
Stiles huffed and clicked a lock on the door. He knew the house very well, considering he only admitted to being here whenever we were in dire straights.  
I followed an invisible trail, hands in pockets. I allowed my feet to guide me. Whenever I put a foot down and the oxygen around it felt too heavy, the trail had gone cold. I also tried to adjust my eyes to the constantly shifting vapors of blues, red and pinks.  
The kitchen door was in front of me within seconds. I grabbed the handle and almost withdrew my hand. The mystic energy pulsating from it felt like a needle stabbing at me skin. "Ow," was my only response to the pain, I rubbed my middle fingers over the palm and continued.

I didn't want to open the door. Bad things happened in movies when you opened the chipped old doors. I banged my eyelids together and told myself to stop being a baby. The knob was heavy in my hand when it twisted and I waited for the inevitable. I tried to think about out the good things in life like rainbows and puppies and _Pretty Little Liars_ every Wednesday night. None of it helped. My mind reeled with the idea of a axe-wielding or chainsaw-wielding or bomb-wired maniac stood in front of it….

I realized the energy had died. I opened my eyes and scowled into the dark and _empty_ kitchen. Well, this was disappointing. I stepped over the threshold and swiveled on the spot until I was facing Stiles at the door. He gave me a little frown.

I glanced around and shrugged. But when I looked back I was horrified. Stiles slack face was bunched up into fear and panic as the spazing teen shouted something at me. Before I could turn I was abruptly grabbed by the neck.

The force of the pull jarred my arms and prevented any sort of element to break free. I punched, fists flying wildly but I couldn't seem to connect with anything solid. Stiles was running at me but just as he was about to get a finger on the door it smacked shut with a small boom.  
"That won't work me," growled a familiar voice. I tried to see beyond my minuscule little body. Use some god forsaken power to save my life but nothing worked. I saw lightning crackle into life only not mine. My lightning was an electric blue, the proper color if you ever had the misfortune to get that close to one of my bolts. This electricity was a lime green color that was almost blinding in its intensity.  
Someone threw me to the ground. I tried to get to my feet but my whole body suddenly seemed heavy and off-balance. Each time I tried to stand I was knocked on my butt. It was terrifying how little control I had over myself and I was trying to surpress the immediate urge to hyperventilate. Panic was inflating in me like a helium balloon.  
When I looked up, I cringed and my lips muttered a wordless serenade. I was staring at the kind of blonde hair that could only be natural; short, choppy. Splendorous green eyes that held so much bitter resentment it seemed to be impossible for a human being to harbor so much hatred.  
I didn't know this woman but I recognized the features. So similar to him. _Those eyes!_ They weren't bright blue but they were the same shape and so much like him. So much like Isaac.  
"I'm sorry," the woman apologized. "You're good for him. He loves you, but… I have to do this. You're too much of a risk to keep alive. You could hurt people, Lily and eventually you will. Maybe not on purpose but you will."  
A blade slithered from a sheath. She was wearing gloves and for a very good reason. Symbols and sigils coated the blade and even behind her fabricated hand the poisonous death burned her skin. A Witch Blade. The only weapon that could kill a witch. "Wait!" I spluttered, "How do you know me? Who are you?"  
"My name is Isabelle Lahey," she informed me, "And I'm here to kill you."

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**Sooooo...What do you think? Post ur chapter review on how u feel about the twist, predictable or mind-blowing? Also I want to give a big thanks to Orcafan1, PerfectlyObscure and everyone who posted all there support. It's not the greatest fanfiction in the world but we got there eventually.**

**Inspired by: Mikky Ekko - Who Are You Really?**


	25. 25: Broken To Pieces

**Hey guys! So it's ending soon **** but don't forget to check out my new story: **_**Through Amber Eyes**_** set in an AU universe where Scott and Stiles have two friends, Anna and Carly, and how they overcome all their challenges together: ( ) /s/8527034/1/Through-Amber-Eyes**

**Thanks for the support.**

**Lily's P.O.V:**

_My name is Isabelle Lahey,_ the woman had said, _and I'm here to kill you._ I don't want to die. I'd much prefer to go on living. I know I should run but everything in my body, every single tiny nerve to the largest bone was screaming at me, yelling at me to fight.

So I got a grip. I forced myself to become focused and balanced, to remove the hold this woman had on me. One thing was for certain. I hated this woman.

I couldn't understand why but I knew it had something to do with the way she spoke, with such a patronizing tone and the way she acted as if she was doing something somehow just reminded me of the ideals of the Argents which just made me loath her much more. _My name is Isabelle Lahey. Isabelle Lahey. Lahey._ Like Mr. Lahey: Coach of the 2006 swim team and allowed one boy to drown, threatened him then frequently abused two others. Or Lahey like Isaac Lahey just…Isaac. There were no other words to describe him, he was so mysterious and…. And….

And it was complicated. That is the only word I know how to use on him.

I want to kill this woman. And I want her to suffer. I want her to feel the pain he felt every day. How he took the beatings from his father then would have to so quickly find an excuse to make up as to why he missed school or why a freshly hammered in bruise was forming on his body. I wanted her to know what it felt like to be hurt, to be beaten down. I knew what it was like, too, but mine was just casual acts of cruelty from the Queen Bitch Bee, Lydia Martin and the odd shove or trip or sneer or harsh laugh from a jock or mean girl. No one had noticed how he would limp into school or how he would wince whenever someone accidently touched him.

I should have seen that his smile never reached his eyes and his eyes seemed much older and advanced than his sixteen year old body. It had taken me six years to realize. _Six years. _For all those years he had been beaten and broken into a shell and yet he kept going, never stopping or even pausing, just careering at top speed into me. _I love you,_ he said and meant it. I wanted to tell him everything. I had so much I needed to offload onto someone it was unbearable.

I couldn't let her just murder me like this. That would be the easy way out, a choice like the one taken by Mrs. Argent. "I can't let that happen," I inform her and then she swipes at me. I dodge but only barely. As I duck, my body feels like its melting and I almost fall down. Gravity seems heightened to astronomic levels.

She kicks me, right in the jaw. I see stars and everything goes numb, the whole world just fades. I can be stabbed – twice - burned, attacked but I can't take a hit. My hands go instinctively up to protect myself and fire throws the woman backwards into an island countertop sat rotting in the middle of the kitchen. A burn spreads across her face and she screams but doesn't heal. I scowl at her. "You're not healing?"  
"Not all witches are the same," she says with a snarling laugh, "I'm just an elemental. You're a _rogue._ An abomination." Isabelle says it with such abhorrence it hurts even if I do hate her. _You're an abomination._ Maybe she was right. I could fire lightning bolts, play with people's emotions and found it so easy to murder people. _I am _and Abomination.

She comes at me again and I throw her, grabbing her arm with so much anger I hear the shoulder disconnect in its socket. She shrieks but I only twist and slam, making the humerus bone snap like it's nothing but a piece of glass. For a moment, Isabelle is airborne, her face contorting in a mask of agony and disgust. Isabelle Lahey looks into my eyes as she falls, straight onto a jagged floorboard. I only realize as I hear a horrible tearing sound. By then it's too late. Isaac's mother is impaled and clearly dead. All around me the battle rages but all I can think about is the look in her eyes when I'd killed her. She looked at me as if I was a monster.

I ran.

I just lost it and abandoned my loved ones. I didn't know where I was going and I didn't really care. Running makes me feel alive. I've badly neglected my track practices recently and missed the championship but like I said, there are prices you pay for my secrets.

When my heart finally gives out I collapse in the frozen dirt. My body is shivering but not just with the cold. I can't stop shaking. I raise my head slowly. Unaware of where I am. Oh. Oh God. I'm staring at the gates of the cemetery, Isaac's old workplace. For a moment I'm petrified in place but I finally close my eyes, allowing a tear to track down my face before trembling to my feet. I attempt the gates at a slow pace. But once I finally get between the menacing gates I sprint again to two new-ish head stones.

I collapse opposite from them, vibrating with fear and adrenaline. The two graves and placed together as requested in their wills.

**Tonya Diana Anderson nee Hayden**

**1971-2008**

**Beloved Sister, Daughter, Wife and Mother**

**In God's hands now.**

People where funny creatures. They might go their whole lives not believing in any sort of God – like I had – yet they would have some sort of religious ceremony to mark their death. When my parents died, I had researched the afterlife to length. I'd googled Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism and read each result page for page. I began reading the Bible and Qur'an but gave up half way through. The idea of my parents burning in some eternal damnation wasn't exactly comforting.

I sat there for moments which span off into an century, until my muscles cried out for release and even then I sat with my knees curled to my chest to relieve the ache inflating in it. A tear tracked down my face, just a single glistening drop which is wiped away by the grubby back of my hand, coated in blood and dirt. I didn't cry when my parents died. Not when the lynx ripped their throats out and not when they were buried. I never cried at funerals and I didn't sob for days. People called me frigid, empty, dull and dead on the inside. Maybe they were right. I was always just a mask of serenity, not letting people in or giving them any sign that I was never not 'okay'. I'd done this for sixteen long, lonely years until him. He just got under my skin and no matter how much my logical brain tried to convince me he was wrong for me, I couldn't shake him and I couldn't stay away.

Clayton James Anderson

**1967-2008**

**Father, Son, Husband and Friend.**

**Died protecting his wife and daughter.**

And then, written right at the bottom of the grave, obscured by brambles and bracken was a line written by my father's best friends.

**At least you went out in style.**

Grandma thought it was offensive and wanted it removed from the grave but I laughed every time. I know I shouldn't, that it was disrespectful to the dead, to _my_ dead but it was the truest words ever written. Any old fool could fall off a ledge, be hit by a car or tumble down the stairs but it took a real man to fend off a wild animal-

A noise from a darkened collection of graves is chilling. I am immediately jolted into my reality as a shiver runs across my body. I can sense something not quite human here but I can't place it. "Hello?" I say in barely a whisper, to which I get a growl in return. I'm on my guard now, as something sinister sneaks from the shadows. At first I think it's a fox, but then, with horror it takes on a feline shape and two piercing yellow eyes stare back at me. My legs buckle and this time there is no one there to catch me.

I know this animal. I don't know how I could ever forget seeing that face sprayed with the blood of my loved ones. What terrifies me more is that I do not see anger, or fear, or hunger or any speak of emotion I only see emptiness, devoid of all feelings even the most primal ones.

The lynx growls which is uncharacteristic of it. These animals aren't usually this aggressive and rarely attack people but this is no ordinary cat. The yellow eyes that shine brighter than that of Scott or Erica or Isaac's tell me that much. It paws the ground, claws spreading out across the jagged terrain. Then its hackles rise and it pulls its face back into a hiss, rows of ragged teeth sticking from its horrendous mouth like thorns.  
"Go away," I manage to spit before it flies at me. I don't even think, I let my body think for me, it's much safer. I'm propelled forward as two sets of claws dig into my back. I scream and last out, grabbing handfuls of fur and skin, yanking and scratching before it can get the crucial throttle hold. It yowls and drops, screaming something unholy before it composes itself but I'm long gone by then.  
I know full well that the lynx has an advantage. It's eyes are adjusted to darkened atmosphere and it easefully keeps pace with me, I notice, as it zooms in and out of trees at a distance to my left. But ten thousand years of evolution does give me an advantage. Millennia ago my ancestors used these hands to climb trees to escape predators. I know have to un-think two thousand years of civilization. I launch myself at a large fern tree in front of me and kick off from the ground using all my god given and supernatural power. I grip the trunk for dear life and manage to get three fingers around a stable branch. The lynx leaps at me, claw racking across my ankle. For a moment all I can feel is searing pain, worse than any wound I've ever felt. For a second, I can only hang there; feeling my body flood with agony, hearing the rush of blood flush down my ear canal and see nothing but flashing red like strobe rights at the back of my vision.

Despite my ankle, I climb higher until I'm hovering at least six feet above the ground. I look down at it triumphantly and this time there is emotion in its eyes. Smug satisfaction. I understand then I've made a tremendous error then.

Lynxes can climb trees.

It begins etching its way up the bark, making sadistic scratching sounds with its claws and letting out taunting whines. "Go away!" I scream, kicking at it with my good foot but it only snaps at me with jaws full of gapping, razor-sharp teeth. "GO AWAY!" I know effort is futile. I know that I'm going to die in this godforsaken forest so far away from home and away from him. Will they ever find my body or would the lynx eat me?

I know Isaac wouldn't stop until he found a body, I console myself, but I don't know if that's better or worse.

I let out a whimper as it leaps for my branch. My heart is pounding but I know what I have to do. I shut my eyes against the rush of tears and elapsing fear trying to prevent me from doing this.

Slowly, I uncurl my fingers from the branch and just as the animal jumps at me, I fall backwards. Suddenly I want to take it back. I claw at the air, sobbing and screaming waiting for my body to break against the forest floor.

I hit the ground with a resounding crack. My whole body feels like I've just been hit by a freight train. I don't know whether I'll heal from this much damage but I have bigger problems. I'm crippled and there is a lynx trying to rip out my jugular. The same cat that murdered my parents.

It slides down the tree gracefully and takes it's time reaching in me, circling my body with a low growl. It raises its hackles and throws its head back as it reaches for my throat….

….but something knocks it off course. It smashes into the tree and whips around wildly at the unseen threat. But I know who it is. I can sense them nearby. And as the lynx panic, he's springs again and wraps a mouth full of jagged fangs around its neck. It thrashes for a while; a desperate attempt to get free then goes limp.

He drops it and allows the wolf's features to retract. Then he rushes over, jeans pulling across the ground and tearing. He looks so wounded, so defeated.  
"You're hurt," he whispers. No shit, but I keep my opinion to myself. "You're not healing."  
"I think my body is going into shock," I manage to slur, as he slips me into his arms. I bury myself into him, into the familiar smell of the forest, destroying all the days of heart break and grief in a single moment. "I think I'm dying."


	26. 26: Its So Quiet Here And I Feel So Cold

**Isaac's P.O.V:**

Lily went limp in my arms a couple of moments ago. I clutch her desperately to my chest and sob. She's not dead, I can hear her heartbeat in my ears, weak and struggling but there. "Help us!" I scream into the frozen night, "God, please somebody help us!"

Scarlet trickles down my arm and spills onto the leaves, dyeing the autumn leaves a sinister crimson. I lift her, allowing her head to loll just beneath my chin. Numbly, I carry her through the trees. The forest appears to be mourning her, the whole atmosphere feels as if it's dropped a couple of degrees but I'm sure it's just pathetic fallacy.

When I reach the Hale house ruin my legs buckle. I'm not used to feeling like this, feeling so defeated. Hell, I'm not even used to feeling anything at all really. I can feel the Alpha at my side. Placing a hand on my shoulder, trying to communicate to me. "I can help her," he's saying, "All you have to do is say yes."

It's true I want to save Lily but does she really want this? There's nothing left for her, her parents are dead. Her aunt doesn't really give a shit and she hates me. Derek can save her, he's told me about wolves made from bloodier accidents than this but I can't ask her what she wants me to do. I have to make the decision. I don't want her to die but what if she doesn't want to be a werewolf? Would that be worse than death?

Stiles tries to take her away from me, so he can help. I know this but some primal urge makes me snarl at him, protective over my mate. He looks slightly offended but then his jaw sets and his eyes harden. "She's dying," he spits, "And you're just sat there."

I look down at her, my beautiful flower bathed in blood. A mess of black hair stained scarlet from a head injury. Clothes torn beyond repair. "Yes." I finally say.

**Lily's P.O.V:**

I am briefly aware of movement. Not my own movement of my broken body but movement of another person against mine. I conclude I'm being carried but all I can see are flashing images like screenshots. Leaves. Trees. Blood.

A face. Isaac's face.

My hand stirs feebly but I am unable to connect with him so I let it fall. I can feel a cold creeping through my body. I fight the darkness despite how easy and appealing it is to just fall asleep and never have to wake up again.

It's quiet here. So quiet. Agonizingly quiet.

_Help me,_ I hear my voice wimper and I'm disgusted at my weakness, _Save me. _

For a while I lay there. Just listening to the sound of his heartbeat, feeling the blood soak out of me and wondering about the girl, Nikki. Thinking if she'll come back for me. Scared she'll kill him.

I don't really care if I die. I just want him to be safe. He's lost so much, so many people but still I'd rather have him grieving over me than vice versa.

I stare at his right arm rapped securely around me. There's an aged scar there, a deep one, lucky to have not sliced through an important artery. I know that scar, I know them all and the stories behind each one. After only a couple of weeks of dating there isn't a story I don't know, a cut I can't explain. It's weird and so utterly cliché I can understand the sideways looks from people like Erica who don't know, who can't feel how strong our love is.

Just a month or so ago I was a normal girl. Lily Anderson, the numb, slightly Emo, super-smart and apparently Mary-sue girl that everyone either loves or hates. Most of the time, it was the latter. Now it's Lily Anderson, the freak that dates Isaac Lahey and who suddenly gets special treatment because she's going out with someone cool.

But I was far from the perfect character everyone thought I was and this isn't my fairy tale ending. This is the part where I die.

We stop in front of the house and I am dropped abruptly to the ground. Still paralyzed and dying all I can do is stare up at the twinkling night sky, slightly elevated by Isaac, and wait for the inevitable.

I can hear voices, two both male. I can only hear snippets of conversation and I don't really care for those either. I feel the final tug of sleep. I close my eyes and allow darkness to embrace me….

A new touch makes my eyelids flutter open again. "She's dying," I hear the person who touched me say, "And you're just sat there."

It's Stiles! The hurt in his voice is hard to bare. It's always hard to know he still cares but I shrug it off and say Stiles is the only person who gives a crap about everybody.

Yet, still…

I shake away the ridiculous thought. I care about Stiles but I love Isaac. "Yes." Isaac says and I panic. What is he agreeing to exactly? "What are you doing?" I manage to slur but it comes out more like 'wozzydo'. I think he gets the general drift of what I'm trying to say.

"Turning you into a werewolf," he replies. I nod meakly and somehow I manage a reassuring squeeze of his hand. He lifts my hand to his mouth to kiss is it gently, barely brushing the skin there.

It's not that scary anymore. He's there. He'll keep me safe.

By the time a decision is made, I am so numb that I hardly feel teeth sink into flesh.


End file.
